Less than 48 hours after Notre Dame lost the College Football Playoff National Championship, Al Golden is going to the NFL and joining the Cincinnati Bengals as their next defensive coordinator. He's accepted the role, according to Matt Zenitz of 247 Sports. At the end of the regular season, the Bengals fired previous defensive coordinator, Lou Anarumo.

The Fighting Irish gave up the fifth-fewest points in the country last season. Plus, Golden's defensive scheme helped Notre Dame make it to the national championship game. With a relentless front-seven, as well as clever dime rush packages, his skill set could translate over nicely.

With players like Trey Hendrickson and Germaine Pratt as a part of that front seven, the talent is there for Golden. Still, the secondary needs some work. After Cincinnati lost Jessie Bates III to the Atlanta Falcons, the secondary hasn't been the same. Even with rookie Cam Taylor-Britt showing promise, one man isn't enough to carry the defense.

Despite that, the Notre Dame defensive coordinator was a big name even through his season. Cincinnati also had major eyes on him. Interestingly enough, Golden rose to the top of the Bengals' considerations for DC.

At this point, it felt like a matter of time before a move took place. However, transitioning from college football to the pros is a tough task. Luckily, he'll have plenty of time to get adjusted and acclimated to Cincinnati.

Al Golden can improve the Bengals' defense

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While Anarumo is a good defensive coordinator, his last season in Cincinnati will be forgotten. Despite a Top 5 offense, the defense was horrendous. They allowed 25.5 points per game, which resulted in some losses that could've been wins. Also, it forced quarterback Joe Burrow to play from behind.

Although Burrow's magic was in full effect, the star quarterback shouldn't have to play from behind in every game. This is where Golden comes in. He's had the opposite effect as Burrow. The former Notre Dame DC prepared his defense to win games because of the struggling offense at times.

He would emphasize the blitz, disguise coverages, and use his best players, and best traits and let them make a play. With the promotion to the NFL, Golden will have to prepare against elite athletes on a week-to-week basis. Still, the standard right now is quite low.

Golden can help muster that Super Bowl standard once again and show a major improvement on that side of the ball heading into the 2025-26 season.