The Bengals have re-signed DE Joseph Ossai to a 1 year/$7M.
Ossai was originally a 3rd round draft pick of the Bengals in 2021. That first offseason, he showed the promise that also had him highly touted as a draft prospect. Unfortunately, things quickly shifted for him, as the injury bug began to hit. Several different injuries eventually hampered him throughout his tenure in Cincinnati, and he often looked like a shell of himself.
This past season, he was luckier on the injury front, but wasn’t much different in terms of production. But this changed later in the season. Suddenly, Ossai burst onto the scene, registering 5 sacks in the final 7 games. This was more than double what he had previously, and his total over the last 4 years now sits at 9.5. Additionally, this past season saw him register 46 tackles, 4 for a loss, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 pass breakup.
As far as price goes, this is more than I was expecting him to get, given that most projections were in the $2.5M-$3M range, and I don’t recall seeing any over $5M. But at $7M, it seems like Ossai had a bigger market than most expected, and the Bengals had to bid higher than the competition. Even still, it’s not a bad contract. The price tag isn’t small, but the team only committed 1 year. It is a prove it deal for Ossai, who will then look to earn a longer term deal next offseason.
With Ossai back in the fold, hopefully he can continue to make forward progress. The Bengals pass rush left a lot to be desired last year, but it would help if he could consistently be the version of himself that he was in those last 7 games.
Even with Ossai sticking around, I would expect the Bengals to continue addressing the position, both through outside free agency and the draft.
