Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) catches a deflected pass as Green Bay Packers cornerback Eric Stokes (21) and Green Bay Packers inside linebacker Oren Burks (42) attempt to stop him in the second half of the NFL football game on Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati. Green Bay Packers defeated Cincinnati Bengals 25-22 in overtime. Green Bay Packers At Cincinnati Bengals 62 Albert Cesare / The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Key Stat Shows How Valuable New Bengals Linebacker Oren Burks Could be in Al Golden's Defense

Originally posted on Cincinnati Bengals on SI
By James Rapien | Last updated Mar 16, 2025 3:05 PM ET

The Bengals are signing veteran linebacker Oren Burks to a two-year, $5 million contract.

Burks slides into a key role for Cincinnati—both on defense and special teams.

With Akeem Davis-Gaither signing with the Cardinals, the Bengals are banking on Burks to fill that void.

The good news is he has done one thing really well: tackle. Burks has three missed total tackles over the past three seasons according to Pro Football Reference.

The Bengals were one of the worst tackling teams in the NFL last season.

Burks spent last season in Philadelphia where he had 41 tackles in 17 games. He turns 30 on March 21.

The veteran was picked in the third round (88th overall) by the Green Bay Packers in the 2018 NFL Draft. He played for the Packers for four seasons, before spending two years in San Francisco.

He's appeared in 108 career games in seven NFL seasons.

Burks signed with the Eagles last year and helped fill the void on defense when Nakobe Dean was injured. Burks has plenty of special teams experience and may end up being Akeem Davis-Gaither's replacement on the roster due to his versatility.

If the Bengals simply became a better tackling team, they'd be much improved on defense this season.