Cincinnati Bengals Wide Receiver duo Ja’Maar Chase and Tee Higgins wasted no time on answering who they would add to the Bengals roster.

During an appearance on the UpAndAdamsShow, Kay Adams asked Ja’Marr Chase which Pro Bowler he would want added to Cincinnati’s roster.

Ja’Marr Chase on what Pro Bowler he’d add to the Bengals roster:

“I wanna go with your boy from Vegas, though. Maxx Crosby.”

Tee Higgins: “Hey Maxx, man, come on to the Bengals, man.”

Kay Adams: “I could see him in Cincy.”

Higgins: “I could too.”

(via @UpAndAdamsShow) pic.twitter.com/IBhuVaw705

— SleeperBengals (@SleeperBengals) February 5, 2026

“I wanna go with your boy from Vegas, though. Maxx Crosby,” Chase said on Wednesday. Tee Higgins chimed in with a comment of his own.

“Hey Maxx, man, come on to the Bengals, man,” Higgins added. Kay Adams agreed with both players, saying she could “see him in Cincy.”

Evidently, Chase and Higgins can see Crosby in Cincy as well.

The Cincinnati Bengals’ Defensive Woes

The Cincinnati Bengals defense has nowhere to go but up after the past two seasons. The Bengals ranked 26th in passing defense in 2025.

They ranked 31st in total defense in 2025 and 32nd in rushing defense which is dead last. Cincinnati allowed 380.9 yards per game and gave up 60 total touchdowns.

In 2024, the Bengals ranked 25th in total defense. They ranked 21st in passing defense and 19th in rushing defense.

Cincinnati allowed 25 points per game in 2024 and gave up 348 yards a game to opposing teams. It comes to no surprise that Higgins and Chase want a player such as Maxx Crosby to buffer this defensive unit.

In the Bengals’ mock draft roundup 2.0, they are heavily addressing their defense in this year’s draft. Names such as Caleb Downs, Rueben Bain Jr., Peter Woods, and Keldric Faulk are listed in the roundup.

The majority of the names listed were defensive linemen. This signifies Cincinnati’s need to focus on stopping the run while trying to get to the opposing team’s quarterback.

Trading for Crosby would be a great start in turn this defense around.

Maxx Crosby Would Reopen Cincinnati’s Super Bowl Window

The Bengals have had success appearing in a Super Bowl in 2021 and an AFC Championship game appearance in 2022. Landing Crosby could possibly reopen that window.

Cincinnati has the offensive side of the ball taken care of with Joe Burrow behind center. They locked up Ja’Maar Chase and Tee Higgins for the foreseeable future. They also signed Tight End Tanner Hudson to a one-year contract extension through the 2026 season.

It’s hard to win in the NFL when your defense is among the worst. For the Bengals, adding Crosby would be a game-changer.

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The star pass rusher signed a three-year, $106.5 million contract extension in 2025. After the Las Vegas Raiders lack of success, these trade talks are becoming more prevalent.

“Cincinnati’s offense is already loaded with playmakers, and the defense has been a problem for a few years now. It should be no surprise that Chase wants an elite pass rusher to join the team.” Ben Strauss wrote in a Clutch Points article. “Cincinnati finished the regular season 6-11 after Joe Burrow’s turf toe injury put the team in a tough situation that they could not overcome. Now the Bengals need to figure out how to upgrade the roster to prevent it from happening again in 2026.”

“The real question for Cincinnati is would they be willing to pay whatever it costs to acquire Crosby?” Strauss wrote.