The Bengals have already been into the offseason process for a few weeks now, but with the conclusion of the Super Bowl, the final two teams now join them. There is rarely time to rest, and for the front office, they will be very busy for the next 5 months. In addition to draft preparation, they also have free agency to think about. They can start signing outside free agents in March, but in the meantime, there is a focus on retaining their own pending free agents. The Bengals have already been busy, getting Tanner Hudson, Mitchell Tinsley, Shaka Heyward, Joe Giles-Harris, Cam Grandy, Isaiah Foskey, and PJ Jules re-signed. But these were all easy deals. The question now is what to do with some of the bigger names.
UFA’s:
DE, Trey Hendrickson
Hendrickson is the biggest name that the Bengals will have to deal with. And his situation over the last year or so has carried some drama. Last offseason, the team ended up bending and gave him a pay raise. However, Hendrickson did not get the long term security that he was looking for.
His 2025 season was cut well short due to injuries. Given that, in addition to his age, the Bengals won’t be changing their stance on a long term deal. Spotrac has Hendrickson’s market value at $25.4M AAV, while PFF has him at $21M. Both are quite affordable, but unfortunately, the bridge has likely been burned too badly for him to take that money in Cincinnati. However, the team can still use the franchise tag.
The cost of that would be $30.2M, which is more than what some are predicting his value to be. That being said, the Bengals have the cap space where they can afford it, and it would again come without the long term commitment that they wish to avoid. There is a good chance that it would again come with holdout drama during the summer, but it is hard to see Hendrickson sitting out once the season begins. For the Bengals, they aren’t in a position to be letting elite talent walk out the door for a compensatory pick. I’m not sure if they will do it, as reports have been mixed, but tagging him looks like the best option. This would then give the team the option to hold on to him, or possibly trade him, should they get a good offer.
Verdict: Franchise Tag.
G, Dalton Risner
Risner is the next biggest on the list. He was a late signing last season and, after an up and down beginning, really settled in at RG as the season went on. From roughly the midway point of the year, the offensive line practically did a 180, and Risner was a big part of stabilising things.
His market, for some reason, has never been super hot during the free agent period. Similarly, Spotrac has his market value at just over $2.4M AAV. It seems low to me, but as I mentioned, his market looks like this every time he hits free agency, despite generally playing at a solid level. PFF has him higher, at $4.5M, which to me seems more appropriate. But either way, this is something the Bengals should easily be able to do. There really is no excuse not to re-sign Risner, especially after he expressed his desire to come back.
Verdict: Re-Sign.
DE, Joseph Ossai
Ossai is one that I’m on the fence about. In 2024, he showed some flashes, but was inconsistent for most of the year. It wasn’t until the final 5 or 6 games that he finally turned it on and was producing at a higher rate. I was cautiously optimistic that he had turned a corner, but the 1 year deal was good so they could see if it would carry over. However, his 2025 season looked similar. Inconsistent early in the season, before turning it on in the back half. And while the back half production is fresh in the memory, the whole product has me worried about over spending here.
Spotrac has his market value at almost $9.2M AAV, and this time around, he is likely to get some term and guaranteed money. For me, that number is too high for the risk. I’d still be hanging around to see if the market is colder than expected. At $5M-$6M AAV, I’d be more inclined to get a deal done. But if the number is approaching 8 figures, I’m out.
Verdict: Let him walk unless the market is weaker than expected.
CB, Cam Taylor-Britt
Taylor-Britt’s Bengals career took an unfortunate downward turn, and then just continued to spiral. He had a great start in his first couple of years, but 2024 and 2025 were both quite rough, and both saw him get benched at various points. This past season ended with him on IR, and early in the offseason, a couple of driving incidents came to light.
While the CB has expressed a willingness to return, it seems like a fresh start is what both sides will go for. Taylor-Britt has talent, so some team will take a chance on him. As for the Bengals, DJ Turner and Daxton Hill are now locked into the top 2 spots at CB, and he’ll likely try to find a team that will give him a chance to compete for a starting spot. Interestingly, Spotrac has his projected market value at just over $9M AAV. However, after two poor seasons and some off-field incidents, I doubt it comes close.
Verdict: Let him walk.
S, Geno Stone
Speaking of interesting, Spotrac has Stone’s market value at just over $7.6M AAV. PFF, meanwhile, has their projection at $4M. In this case, the higher, the better, as it is hard to see the Bengals bringing him back after such a poor season. A decent compensatory selection for Stone would be nice, but I wouldn’t expect his market to be very strong.
Verdict: Let him walk.
TE, Noah Fant
Things started well for Fant, but he faded as the season went on. Partly due to the receivers being higher in the pecking order. But even Gesicki jumped ahead later in the year. Ultimately, Fant might be remembered mostly for having three nearly identical fumbles returned for a TD. In fairness, he did have some bright moments too, but he just wasn’t enough of a difference maker to be a high priority. I imagine he’ll again look for a fresh start elsewhere on a 1 year deal. Spotrac has his AAV at just over $3.2M, but I could see it being lower.
Verdict: Let him walk.
CB, Jalen Davis
Davis has spent most of his time with the Bengals on the practice squad. His days in the organization go back to 2020, and over the years, he has had little stretches where the team has had to rely on him to fill in. On most of those occasions, he has proven to be worthy of a depth spot. Davis again got a somewhat extended look in the slot, towards the end of the year, and did well. I’d be surprised to see him starting next year, but it makes sense to bring him back as depth. This deal shouldn’t break the bank, and should be relatively easy to get done. I’d expect both sides to have interest.
Verdict: Re-Sign.
QB, Joe Flacco
Flacco’s situation will be one to watch. Spotrac has his market value at almost $5.6M, which seems about right to me. But for the 41 year old, money isn’t the only thing to consider. It seemed like he genuinely enjoyed being in Cincinnati. However, re-signing means accepting a job as Joe Burrow’s backup. If a team wants to give Flacco a shot to start as a bridge QB, he will certainly consider that. But with Burrow’s injury history, and the chance for the team to be playing playoff football next year, maybe the situation in Cincinnati is enticing enough for him to take a backup job.
Verdict: Re-Sign.
G, Lucas Patrick
Patrick came to Cincinnati with a reputation of being a solid, if unspectacular, player. He was the favourite to start at RG, and his reliability was expected to raise the floor of the o-line unit. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out in his only season with the Bengals. He suffered an injury early in the season, which largely derailed things for him. But even when healthy, his play left a lot to be desired. Jalen Rivers got an extended run at RG, but it was Dalton Risner who ultimately established himself as the guy.
Patrick was on a 1 year deal, and it would be surprising, given how things went, if he is in their future plans. Risner, surely, will be where their focus is.
Verdict: Let him walk.
S, Tycen Anderson
Anderson has very rarely seen game action on defence, since being drafted in 2022. However, the last couple of years has seen core special teamers, including Stanley Morgan, depart. Anderson has been one of the main ones to step up and fill that void. He not only has been arguably the Bengals best special teamer, but also one of the better ones in the league. I’d be surprised if Darrin Simmons isn’t vouching to keep him. It also helps that the contract would likely be at or near the league minimum.
Verdict: Re-Sign.
G, Cordell Volson
Once a starter at LG, Volson entered the offseason expected to lose that spot and be forced to battle it out for a backup position. Unfortunately, he suffered a season ending injury during the preseason, and spent the year on IR. Coming off the injury, he likely won’t get much more than a minimum deal. With that in mind, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Bengals re-sign him to compete for a spot. Still, it feels like a fresh start somewhere else could be in the cards for Volson, with other players having already jumped him on the depth chart.
Verdict: Let him walk.
CB, Marco Wilson
Wilson was a waiver claim during the 2024 season, and continued in a depth role for 2025. Sporadically, he saw action on defence, and showed some worthwhile flashes for a depth guy. As well, he was a solid contributor on special teams. This is another one where you wouldn’t expect much more than a minimum deal. No reason not to get it done, and have him back to compete for a spot.
Verdict: Re-Sign.
DE, Cam Sample
Sample was re-signed last offseason after missing the entirety of 2024 due to injury. His level of play increased in the final few games of the season, but for most of the year, he failed to make an impact. The Bengals are likely to add to the position through both the draft and free agency. I don’t see the need to keep Sample.
Verdict: Let him walk.
LB, Brian Asamoah
Asamoah joined the Bengals part-way through last season. He first signed with the practice squad, before later earning a promotion to the roster and appearing in 4 games. Asamoah was a decent enough prospect 4 years ago, and the Bengals saw something to put in a claim. It would be a minimum deal, so I could see them bringing him back to compete for a spot in the preseason.
Verdict: Re-Sign.
RFA:
QB, Jake Browning
Browning rounds out the group. While the rest are unrestricted free agents, Browning is a restricted free agent, so the Bengals have a little more control here. They could assign a 1st round tender, 2nd round tender, or original round (UDFA) tender, which would represent the compensation they’d receive, should another team sign him.
Unfortunately, Browning’s stock has likely dwindled down to nothing, following his poor stint as a starter in 2025. This means that if anything, an original round tender will be placed on him. More likely, however, I’d expect no tender. When they traded for Flacco, it seemed like Browning’s future with the team had been cemented. Perhaps they consider keeping him if Flacco signs somewhere else. But even in that case, the Bengals would be better off finding someone else.
Verdict: Let him walk.
