Jordan Battle Highlights Next Step Bengals Safeties Can Take During 2025 Season

 Jordan Battle is in the thick of his third NFL training camp with the Cincinnati Bengals. He knows the defense needs to step up its game after ranking tied for 25th in points allowed last season.

The secondary played a big role in those issues, a lack of communication specifically. Battle noted that's the next step for the safety unit in a conversation with FOX 19's Jeremy Rauch.

"Leadership, communication, stepping up, and being the backbone of the defense," Battle told Rauch. "Whenever guys needs a call, give them the call, making sure guys are comfortable before we even go on the field, so everybody's comfortable and they're able to play fast. Go out there clear-minded. 

"If we watch the film a lot, we should know a lot of the time what we're going to get out of certain formations. So just keeping guys aware of those things."

Battle's been ultra durable as a Bengal, appearing in all 34 possible games since getting drafted in the third round.

2024 was a much bigger struggle than 2023 (53.1 PFF grade in 2023, to 53.1 in 2024), but the new defensive system could bring things right back to the 2023 level. If Cincinnati can give up one or two less explosive pass plays per game, that could be the difference in making or missing the playoffs.

The margins are thin, and Battle sounds focused on the right pressure points to start the turnaround.