Bengals Sign Safety Bryan Cook, Cincinnati Native

Two-time Super Bowl champion returns home to play for hometown team.

Mar. 17, 2026 at 6:30pm

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The Cincinnati Bengals have signed free agent safety Bryan Cook, a Cincinnati native who attended Mt. Healthy High School and the University of Cincinnati. Cook is a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs and will look to shore up the Bengals' defense after they led the league in missed tackles in 2025.

Why it matters

The signing of Cook, a local product with Super Bowl experience, is an important move for the Bengals as they aim to improve their defense and make another deep playoff run. His addition provides veteran leadership and playmaking ability to a secondary that struggled at times last season.

The details

Cook was drafted in the second round (62nd overall) by the Chiefs in 2022 after a standout college career at Cincinnati, where he was an All-AAC First Team selection in 2021. He has recorded an interception and four tackles in Super Bowl play, and last season had the second-best missed tackle percentage (4.5%) among safeties with at least 85 takedowns.

  • Cook signed with the Bengals on March 15, 2026.
  • He won Super Bowls with the Chiefs in 2023 and 2025.

The players

Bryan Cook

A two-time Super Bowl champion safety who attended high school and college in Cincinnati before being drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022.

Cincinnati Bengals

The NFL team that signed Bryan Cook as a free agent in 2026, adding the local product to their secondary.

Kansas City Chiefs

The team that drafted Bryan Cook in the second round in 2022 and won two Super Bowls with him on the roster.

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What they’re saying

“We're excited to bring Bryan back home to Cincinnati. His experience winning Super Bowls and making plays in big moments will be invaluable for our defense.”

— Zac Taylor, Head Coach, Cincinnati Bengals

What’s next

Cook will look to make an immediate impact in the Bengals' secondary when the team begins offseason workouts in April.

The takeaway

The signing of Bryan Cook, a Cincinnati native with Super Bowl pedigree, is a savvy move by the Bengals as they aim to bolster their defense and make another deep playoff run. His homecoming adds local flavor and proven playmaking ability to a team on the rise.