Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Flacco

QB

Flacco kicked off last season as the Browns' No. 1 quarterback, completing 93 of 160 passes (58.1 percent) for 815 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions in four starts. Cleveland then dealt him to Cincinnati, where he proceeded to fill in for the injured Joe Burrow. In six more starts with his new team, Flacco racked up 1,636 yards and a 13:4 TD:INT on 61.6 percent passing. Once Burrow recovered from his turf toe injury, Flacco saw only spot action down the stretch of the 2025 campaign, a role he figures to fill again this season as long as the former remains healthy.

Josh Johnson

QB

Johnson will turn 40 in mid-May, but he's not yet ready to hang up his cleats. This will be his third stint with the Bengals, who are one of 14 teams he's spent time with during his NFL career. Johnson should have a path to working as the backup to QB Joe Burrow, as Sean Clifford is the only other QB currently signed to Cincinnati's roster following the departure of Jake Browning to Tampa Bay.

Jonathan Allen

DT

The 31-year-old defensive lineman from Alabama is set to join the Bengals after spending his 2025 campaign with the Vikings. Allen has appeared in 25 regular-season games over the last two seasons, recording 87 total tackles, including 6.5 sacks. Additionally, he earned Pro Bowl selections in 2021 and 2022 while playing for the Commanders. Now in Cincinnati, Allen is expected to operate as the Bengals' top interior defensive lineman during the 2026 season.

Orlando Brown Jr.

OT

The veteran offensive lineman from Oklahoma has spent each of the last three seasons in Cincinnati and is now under contract through 2028 following his extension. Brown has been a reliable presence for the Bengals, appearing in all 17 regular-season games in two of his three seasons with the team (including 2025). He's expected to remain Cincinnati's top left tackle during the 2026 campaign.

Boye Mafe

LB

Mafe can make his deal official when the new league year begins Wednesday. He worked in a depth role for the Seahawks during their Super Bowl-winning 2025 campaign, starting only four of 17 regular-season playoff games and none of Seattle's three playoff games. Seattle's second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft has made 34 regular-season starts.

Bryan Cook

S

Cook solidified himself as a starter at safety for the Chiefs in 2024 and further built on that success in 2025, when he totaled 85 tackles (50 solo) and six passes defensed while suiting up for all 17 regular-season games. He's positioned as a locked-in starter for Cincinnati's secondary for the 2026 campaign and beyond.

Dalton Risner

G

Risner started 11 of his 14 regular-season appearances with Cincinnati last season, and he's set to reprise his role as the team's top right guard in 2026. The veteran offensive lineman, who will turn 31 years old this offseason, enjoyed one of the best years of his career last season and appears to have found his footing in head coach Zac Taylor's offense.

Jalen Davis

CB

In seven regular-season games with the Bengals in 2025, his sixth campaign with the team, Davis recorded a career-high 20 total tackles (seven solo), including 1.0 sacks, one interception and one forced fumble. The 30-year-old, who has started three of the 59 regular-season contests he's played in with Cincinnati, figures to reprise his depth role in the team's secondary this coming season.

Kendall Milton

RB

Milton, who spent the majority of the past two seasons on Cincinnati's practice squad, will thus have an opportunity to compete for a depth slot in the team's backfield ahead of the 2026 campaign. In his only regular-season appearance in 2025, Milton, who played his college ball at Georgia, logged two carries for two yards.

Kendric Pryor

WR

Pryor spent the 2025 campaign on the Bengals' practice squad, but he wasn't elevated for a single regular-season appearance with the team. Back in 2024, Pryor suited up for two games with Cincinnati, in which span he secured his only target for nine yards. The depth wideout will get a chance to continue his development with the team this offseason.

Matt Lee

C

questionable

Kris Jenkins Jr.

DT

questionable

Erick All Jr.

TE

questionable

Shemar Stewart

DE

Stewart, a 2025 first-round pick from Texas A&M, didn't participate in the Bengals' offseason program and failed to report to training camp on time due to a post-draft contract dispute. This may have contributed to his slow start in the NFL, as he recorded just six total tackles over his first five games. Stewart also struggled to stay healthy, missing nine contests due to a lingering knee injury. Despite the setbacks, the 22-year-old likely will operate as one of the Bengals' top edge rushers during the 2026 season.

Cedric Johnson

DE

Johnson, a 2024 sixth-round pick from Ole Miss, set career highs in total tackles and sacks while logging 207 defensive snaps during his second NFL season. He missed the first eight games of Cincinnati's 2025 campaign but came on strong late in the year, with all of his sacks coming over the final two weeks of the regular season. Under contract through 2027, Johnson is expected to remain one of the Bengals' top reserve defensive ends next season.

T.J. Slaton Jr.

DT

Slaton continued his iron-man streak this season, having now played five years in the NFL without missing a regular-season game. In his first year with the Bengals, the Florida product set career highs in total tackles and sacks while operating as one of the team's top interior defensive linemen. Entering the second season of his two-year, $14.1 million deal signed last offseason, Slaton is expected to remain an integral part of Cincinnati's defense in 2026.

Tanner Hudson

TE

Hudson played in 15 games for Cincinnati during the 2025 campaign, posting a 19-168-2 receiving line that was a near carbon copy of his 19-154-1 line from 2024, though he saw action in just 11 regular-season contests during that 2024 campaign. His past two seasons have paled in comparison to his 2023 campaign when he recorded 39 catches on 50 targets for 352 yards a touchdown across 12 regular-season games, but the Bengals value his contributions enough to keep in the fold for at least another season. Mike Gesicki will likely remain Cincinnati's No. 1 tight end next year, but Hudson could fill a bigger role if Noah Fant, who is slated to be a free agent, doesn't return.

Drew Sample

TE

Sample played in all 17 regular-season games for a third consecutive campaign, all of which he finished with between 106 and 163 receiving yards. His three-year, $10.5 million contract with the Bengals runs through Sample's age-30 season in 2026.

Tahj Brooks

RB

The 2025 sixth-round pick from Texas Tech logged just 47 offensive snaps while playing behind Chase Brown and Samaje Perine during the 2025 season. However, Brooks was a valuable contributor on special teams, logging the third-most kick return yards on the Bengals while averaging 25.8 yards per return. Both Brown and Perine remain under contract for 2026, so Brooks will likely play another depth role in Cincinnati's backfield next year.

Barrett Carter

LB

Carter compiled impressive production for a rookie fourth-round pick, though the actual quality of his play left something to be desired. Though Carter earned an every-down role in defense as a rookie, it won't be surprising if he has to compete to retain a starting gig this offseason, unless he manages to take a substantial step forward in his development.

Dax Hill

CB

Hill turned in respectable production totals while handling essentially an every-down role at cornerback for Cincinnati, when healthy. The 2022 first-round pick was one of the Bengals' more reliably playmakers in coverage in 2025, and he'll remain with the team for the 2026 campaign while playing out the fifth-year option on his rookie contract.

B.J. Hill

DT

Hill tallied the second-highest tackle total of his career while suiting up for all 17 of Cincinnati's regular-season games in 2025. The 30-year-old veteran has two more years remaining on his contract with the Bengals, though the team has a potential 'out' this offseason for only $7.3 million in dead cap.

Myles Murphy

DE

Murphy recorded career-high marks across the board while suiting up for all 17 regular-season games for the first time in his career. The 2023 first-round pick had seemingly been headed toward 'bust' status after totaling just 3.0 sacks across his first two seasons with Cincinnati, but Murphy put together encouraging tape in 2025. He'll look to take another step forward in 2026, which will be the final year of his rookie contract with the Bengals assuming the team declines his fifth-year option.

Jordan Battle

S

Battle exploded onto the scene as a high-end IDP fantasy asset in 2025, more than doubling his tackle total from the year prior while suiting up for all 17 regular-season games for a third consecutive year. The 25-year-old is slated to play out the final year of his rookie contract with Cincinnati during the 2026 campaign, in which he projects to reprise a valuable starting role at safety.

Demetrius Knight Jr.

LB

Knight was one of the few bright spots in a tough season for Cincinnati's defense. The 2025 second-round draft pick appeared in every game of his rookie regular season and started 14 while showcasing a promising mix of run stopping and coverage ability. He'll likely reprise his role as the starting weakside linebacker in 2026, as the Bengals have plenty of other holes to fill on defense.