It was clear based on the contract numbers that the Cincinnati Bengals won some sort of bidding war for the rights to free agent defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins.

That two-year contract worth $26 million was apparently enough to rip him from the Houston Texans.

According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the Bengals won a bidding war with the Texans, as Houston ultimately offered him $12 million annually.

The numbers simply speak to how badly the Bengals wanted interior pass-rushing help, which will keep B.J. Hill fresh, too. More consistent pressure from the inside should help edge rushers like Trey Hendrickson and first-rounder Myles Murphy.

On paper, the bidding war victory doesn’t prevent the team from bringing back nose tackle DJ Reader or other names at the position, either.