The Bengals have released C Matt Lee.
Lee was originally a 7th round pick of the Bengals in 2024. Quickly after being drafted, he was identified as a potential steal, as more people dove into his tape after the fact. A good preseason then followed, and there was talk about him potentially being a long term option at C, with Ted Karras getting towards the end of his career.
However, Lee also has dealt with some injuries since being drafted. Dealing with one during the 2025 offseason, he managed to see some time later on in the preseason, and again played well. But another injury suffered in week 8 saw him land on IR.
The injuries are brought up here as they are the only logical reason that might explain why this move was made. Releasing Lee at this time not only leaves a hole at the backup C spot, but also sees the team cut bait with someone who has shown genuine potential.
The move does not make sense from a surface level point of view. Especially the timing, as there is nothing forcing them to clear a roster spot at the moment, and there is little financial gain here.
The injury reasoning, of course, is speculation. It could be that there is some recurring issue the team isn’t comfortable with. It could be that the player is intending to step away. No reason has been given, but in any event, the Bengals now have another need to fill, as the draft approaches.
