The 2026 offseason is officially here (in spirit). We have no more meaningful football until September.
However, we are just gearing up for free agency and the NFL Draft. Two of the most anticipated offseason events of any of the major sports.
We are here to take a look at the players the Cincinnati Bengals currently have scheduled to become free agents. That means the players’ contracts with the team are expiring. These players are still only allowed to negotiate with the Bengals for an extension until the beginning of free agency on March 11th, which is the official start to the 2026 NFL season.
Bengals pending free agents 2026
- Trey Hendrickson, ED
- Joseph Ossai, ED
- Geno Stone, S
- Joe Flacco, QB
- Noah Fant, TE
- Cordell Volson, G
- Lucas Patrick, G
- Marco Wilson, CB
- Cam Taylor-Britt, CB
- Dalton Risner, G
- Cameron Sample, ED
- Jalen Davis, CB
- Brian Asamoah, LB
- Tycen Anderson, S
- Jake Browning, QB (restricted free agent)
There are some easy decisions here for a team looking to build on the defensive side of the ball. Somehow, figuring out how to get Hendrickson into the fold would be ideal. However, all goodwill was expended last offseason when a contract dispute got very personal very quickly.
You just usually don’t make your defense better by letting someone like Hendrickson walk. Playing with the reality that the team probably will not have Hendrickson, re-signing Joseph Ossai as a rotational player would be a pretty good move.
The most impactful name on this list is probably Risner, who was a huge addition to the offensive line and helped turn things around in that area. The line is usually as good as its worst member, and Risner is more than solid. It was easily the best offensive line Joe Burrow has played behind, and it probably only will get better as Dylan Fairchild and Amarius Mims get more experience.
Lucas Patrick was also a solid veteran depth option inside. The team should avoid just relying on Jalen Rivers to take a leap in his second season.
Letting defensive players like Stone and Taylor-Britt walk is an easy decision. They have not had tenures with the team. Stone never met the expectations of what the team thought they were getting when they signed him, and Taylor-Britt has been rapidly declining; a change of scenery might do him good.
The decision at backup quarterback might come down to whether Flacco wants to continue to play and/or be a backup. Browning will likely be back since he is a restricted free agent. However, if Flacco isn’t back, it is hard to imagine not seeing some competition brought in after the team traded for Flacco.
Who do you hope the team brings back for next season?
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