The Bengals have re-signed TE Tanner Hudson to a 1 year deal.
This is the third straight offseason that has seen the Bengals retain Hudson on a 1 year deal.
The 31 year old was originally signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2018. In Tampa, he spent time on both the practice squad and the active roster, and was part of the team that won the Super Bowl at the end of the 2020 season.
After brief stops with the 49ers and Giants, Hudson found his way to the Bengals practice squad near the end of the 2022 season. Part-way through 2023, he earned a promotion to the roster, where he has stayed ever since.
Due to injury, Hudson saw regular playing time in 2023 and 2024. However, his usage reduced significantly in 2025, when Noah Fant was added to a group that already included Mike Gesicki and Drew Sample.
Still, there were moments when Hudson was needed to fill in. These moments served as a reminder that he is still very reliable in the passing game.
With this in mind, retaining Hudson on another cheap deal makes sense for the Bengals. He is better than what you would normally see from a team’s TE3, but still comes at that low cost. It isn’t a flashy signing, by any means, but a solid one for the team’s depth.