You can call Duke Tobin the Cincinnati Bengals “de facto” General Manager or his official title, Director of Player Personnel. No matter what you choose to call his position with the team, the undeniable part is that he is a key factor at acquiring players via free agency or the NFL draft.
Failures in both of the aforementioned areas are a large part of why the Bengals now sit at 3-8 with a playoff berth all but out the window. This, coming on the heels of two straight 9-8 seasons in 2023 and 2024 and an offseason that saw Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Trey Hendrickson all get big money deals.
The Bengals’ plan seemed simple enough. Pay your offense, draft your defense. While that seems to be the idea, the execution aspect hasn’t paid dividends. 2023 first round defensive end Myles Murphy has left a lot to be desired. This year’s first rounder, Shemar Stewart has made virtually zero impact on the team and the two linebackers brought in to help revitalize a defense that failed in 2024 are both among the lowest graded linebackers in the league.
When a team has had such poor production out of draft classes, the blame usually falls on the General Manager, whether that be de facto or not. Tobin has been with the team since 1999 and for the first time maybe ever, the NFL media has been discussing the possibility of him being fired.
The Athletic recently listed several NFL executives that could be on the hot seat and Tobin was one of them.
“But league insiders wonder about Tobin’s job security given the Bengals’ shortcomings over the last two seasons and the double-digit loss campaign they appear to be headed for in 2025.”
With calls for change from the fans, could it be Tobin let go before Head Coach Zac Taylor? Or could both be shown the door for sweeping changes after several failed attempts to get back to the Super Bowl?
Time will tell, but for the first time maybe ever, Tobin’s job is being speculated on. If he is replaced, you have to wonder if Bengals ownership will truly empower his replacement. As much as Tobin does influence roster decisions, Mike Brown, along with Katie and Troy Blackburn, have final say.
