The Bengals keep one of their top free agents on a very manageable deal.
The Cincinnati Bengals will keep edge defender Joseph Ossai, and it’ll be at a bargain deal.
According to Ian Rapoport, the Bengals have agreed to a one-year deal worth $7 million with Ossai.
Set to be a fifth-year player in 2025, this marked the first time Ossai has been allowed to hit free agency since becoming a third-round pick by way of the Texas Longhorns in the 2021 NFL Draft.
In 47 career games (three starts), Ossai has registered 73 total tackles, 9.5 sacks, 32 QB hits, seven tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and three pass deflections. He missed the entire 2021 season due to a preseason injury and was limited for much of 2023 due to a preseason injury as well.
This season, Ossai appeared in all 17 games while making three starts once Sam Hubbard was lost for the season. Ossai would register 46 tackles, five sacks, 15 QB hits, two forced fumbles, one pass deflection, and four tackles for loss. He earned a 58.3 Pro Football Focus grade.
This is a win-win for both sides. Ossai collects a nice paycheck for the year and gets a chance to build on what we saw last season, as well as the 2022 campaign, in hopes of signing a major contract in the 2026 offseason. That could easily be Cincinnati with Trey Hendrickson on the way out and Myles Murphy not panning out thus far.
The Bengals, meanwhile, keep one of their top free agents while also not committing enough to him that it prevents them from finding another edge rusher in free agency or the NFL Draft.
