Bengals reunite linebacker Jack Kiser with Al Golden after waiver pickup

Cincinnati’s offseason roster work has a familiar face attached to it. On Monday, the Bengals picked up linebacker Jack Kiser off waivers, setting up a reunion with Al Golden, the Notre Dame defensive coordinator who, according to, played a direct role in Kiser’s path to the Senior Bowl.

Kiser’s connection to Golden dates back to their Notre Dame days. reported that Kiser told the team Golden was the reason he earned an invite and opportunity at the all-star event. Now, with Cincinnati bringing him into the organization, the relationship has followed him from college football into the NFL.

The Bengals also framed their week’s topics around the roles and unit-building that Golden has historically emphasized. Within the same “Quick Hits” package, discussed the defensive environment Golden helps shape, and positioned the Kiser claim as more than a simple depth move, even though details of Kiser’s immediate role were not spelled out in the team’s summary.

Beyond the waiver wire, Cincinnati’s other on-the-narrative items focused on the quarterback and the defensive temperature inside the building. referenced “70-percenter Joe Burrow” and “Dohnte’s inferno,” language that suggests staff attention on command, consistency, and defensive intensity, even as the package did not provide full statistical context in the excerpt provided to this report.

For the Bengals, the practical value of a claim like this is typically tied to how quickly a player can learn assignment football and fit within a coordinator’s scheme. Golden’s presence is relevant in that regard, because he is not just a name in the background. In this telling, he is a connective tissue between Kiser’s earlier development and the Bengals’ present priorities.

Still, it is worth treating this as an opening chapter rather than a completed evaluation. Waiver claims do not guarantee game-day leverage, especially for linebackers who must earn trust through practice execution and special teams contributions. What to watch next is how Cincinnati uses Kiser in team settings, whether he becomes part of the rotation immediately, and whether Golden’s defensive fingerprints show up in how the unit is staffed.

The storyline, in the end, is simple: Cincinnati moved to add Jack Kiser, and it does so with a deliberate personal and tactical tie to Al Golden. The reunion angle gives the transaction a human lift, but the on-field test will be performance, fit, and consistency once the regular-season rhythm is underway.