The Cincinnati Bengals are the biggest beneficiaries of the offseason overhauls happening throughout the AFC North.
The Cleveland Browns' trade of Myles Garrett to Los Angeles on Monday was the latest chip to fall in their favor. Garrett has terrorized most teams he’s faced, but was a particular menace to Joe Burrow and the Bengals. Garrett has sacked Burrow more times (13) than any other quarterback he’s faced.
Backup QB Joe Flacco, a former teammate of Garrett's, put it succinctly when asked about Cleveland shipping the pass rusher out of the division.
"Good for us," Flacco said Monday, via the team’s official website.
It’s good for Cincy offensive tackles Orlando Brown and Amarius Mims, who no longer have to face the NFL’s single-season sack record holder twice a year. But Brown noted that Jared Verse, part of Cleveland's return in the deal, is still a formidable opponent, and that one player does not make a team go.
"It doesn't matter. You still have to go win on Sundays. Congrats to Myles. That's how I feel. We still have to go win," Brown said. "(Verse) is a young player who is also a great player. Very talented. I have a lot of respect for his game."
Mims echoed those thoughts.
"It's the hardest division anywhere, whether it's Myles Garrett or Jared Verse," Mims said. "Both great players. Both have been to the Pro Bowl. Verse has been every year he's been in the league. We came in together. A great player. You've got to block both of them at the end of the day."
With the Browns, Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers undergoing coaching changes, the Bengals sit as the most stable club in the AFC North. No longer having to face Garrett twice makes their task of climbing back to the postseason a little easier in 2026.