Cincinnati Bengals News

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Joe Flacco • QB • Bengals

Joe Flacco Reaches Agreement to Return to Bengals

Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco reached an agreement on a one-year, $6 million deal on Tuesday to re-sign with the Cincinnati Bengals, his agents told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Flacco will return to Cincy for a 19th NFL season after spending time with both the Bengals and Cleveland Browns in 2025. The 41-year-old veteran began the year as the starter in Cleveland, but he was traded to the Bengals after four starts to fill in for the injured Joe Burrow. Flacco became a streaming QB in fantasy formats after landing in Cincy, as he threw for 1,664 yards, 13 touchdowns, and four interceptions in nine games (six starts) after the trade. Despite his age, Flacco has proved in recent seasons that he still has a little magic left in the tank as a backup signal-caller. Burrow continues to be hampered by injuries in his career, so if he misses more time in 2026, Flacco will be called to the rescue again and could once again be worth picking up off the waiver wire for QB-needy fantasy managers.

6 days ago

Mike Gesicki • TE • Bengals

Mike Gesicki a Bounce-Back Candidate in Third Year in Cincy

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki had a solid showing in 2024 in his first year in Cincinnati, catching 65 of his 83 targets for 665 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games played. The 30-year-old wasn't able to produce at that level in 2025, though, as he finished with 28 receptions for 307 yards and two touchdowns on 42 targets in just 13 games played. Gesicki missed time with a pectoral injury and was also hurt by quarterback Joe Burrow missing eight games with a turf-toe injury. Gesicki finished as the TE40 in half-PPR scoring. In dynasty/keeper leagues, Gesicki wouldn't be a bad buy-low candidate after a down year in 2025. Burrow typically focuses primarily on his two stud wideouts in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but if healthy, Gesicki could approach his numbers from 2024 in Cincy's pass-happy offense. In redraft fantasy football leagues, Gesicki will be more of a touchdown-dependent TE2 with upside, carrying more appeal in TE-premium formats.

Mar 21

Chase Brown • RB • Bengals

Chase Brown Profiles as a High-End Dynasty Running Back Heading into 2026

After a slow start to the 2025 season, Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown heated up in the second half and posted another year of quality production. Across 17 games, the 25-year-old recorded 1,456 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns on 301 touches. Like the rest of the Bengals' offense, some of Brown's success is tied to the health of Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow. After Burrow's Week 13 return from the toe injury that cost him nine games, Brown hauled in 25 receptions on 26 targets, including three touchdown grabs. Heading into 2026, Brown appears poised to dominate backfield touches in Cincinnati again, and Burrow should be entering the year fully healthy. Brown's combination of age, role in an elite offense, and ability to rack up fantasy points as both a rusher and receiver makes him a high-end running back option in dynasty formats.

Mar 20

Ja'Marr Chase • WR • Bengals

Ja'Marr Chase Has Overall WR1 Upside with Quarterback Healthy

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase continued to produce at a high level in 2025. Even with inconsistent quarterback play, Chase caught 125 passes for 1,412 yards and eight touchdowns over 16 games, ranking as the WR4 in PPR leagues. He didn't replicate his overall WR1 finish from 2024, but he still offered top-tier results for his fantasy managers down the stretch. Most importantly, Chase didn't let quarterback issues alter his productivity too much. Sure, he looked much better when Joe Burrow was healthy, but he still ranked as a WR1 when catching passes from Jake Browning and Joe Flacco. With Burrow entering the offseason on a clean bill of health, Chase finds himself back in the high-end WR1 tier. In fact, he has the potential to rank as the overall WR1 as long as Burrow stays healthy for most or all of the 2026 campaign. The LSU product has been a top-12 fantasy receiver in all five of his pro campaigns, as well as a top-five receiver in three of the five. He remains a hot commodity in the first round of redraft leagues going forward, and he's (justifiably) one of the most expensive trade targets in dynasty formats.

Mar 20

Tee Higgins • WR • Bengals

Tee Higgins Solidified as a Weekly Fantasy Contributor with QB Healthy

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins has taken a step forward in fantasy football every year, and he now finds himself in the high-end WR2 tier heading into the 2026 season. Outside of an injury-shortened 2023 campaign, Higgins' overall fantasy finish has improved every year since he was drafted. He was the WR15 in PPR leagues this past season, catching 59 passes for 846 yards and a career-high 11 touchdowns. Higgins was able to produce at such a high level despite missing two games and spending plenty of time catching passes from Jake Browning and Joe Flacco. With Higgins and Joe Burrow both healthy heading into 2026, the former second-round pick has legitimate top-12 receiver upside in fantasy football. The Bengals' offense has shown that it can support high-end fantasy production from Higgins, Ja'Marr Chase, and Chase Brown on any given week, as long as Burrow is healthy. Therefore, he's worth drafting as a high-end WR2 in redraft formats and is appropriately priced in dynasty leagues.

Mar 19

Joe Flacco • QB • Bengals

Bengals Waiting for Joe Flacco?

The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. believes that when the Cincinnati Bengals signed 14-team NFL legend Josh Johnson over the weekend, it "sent a clear message" that they "plan on waiting" for free-agent quarterback Joe Flacco. The 41-year-old veteran will return for a 19th season in the NFL, but he's prioritizing signing with a team that will allow him to start in Week 1 of the regular season this fall. At this point, that's unlikely to happen, but Flacco has also stated that he'd have interest in returning to Cincinnati as Joe Burrow's backup if he can't find an opportunity to compete for a starting job. The Bengals essentially bought time to wait Flacco out by signing Johnson. Flacco put up some impressive single-game numbers for Cincy last year when Burrow was dealing with a toe injury, and he finished with 2,479 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in 13 games (10 starts) with the Bengals and Browns. Despite his age, Flacco would be back on the superflex and streaming radar in fantasy if he re-signs with the Bengals and Burrow gets injured again in 2026.

Mar 17

Joe Burrow • QB • Bengals

Can a Healthy Joe Burrow Challenge for QB1?

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow missed nine games in 2025 with a Grade 3 turf toe injury that required in-season surgery. It was the second time in the last three years, and the third time in his career, that he missed significant time due to injury. When healthy, Burrow is among the most gifted quarterbacks in the league, and playing with a supporting cast of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins will always have him in position to put up huge fantasy numbers, however, his 226 passing yards per game in 2025 marked a career low, and his 2.1 touchdowns per contest were down significantly from his 43-score season the year prior. It bears noting that Burrow's performance after returning from injury more closely resembled his MVP-candidate form, topping 23 fantasy points in five of his final six outings, with one forgettable performance against Baltimore.

Mar 15

Andrei Iosivas • WR • Bengals

Andrei Iosivas Overshadowed by Two Stud Receivers in Cincy

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas is an underrated NFL wideout who would probably be much more fantasy relevant if he were on another team. But in Cincinnati, he's a forgotten man behind one of the best WR duos in the league in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. The 26-year-old former sixth-round selection by Cincy in 2023 out of Princeton was fourth on the team last year with 435 receiving yards in 17 games (nine starts). Iosivas caught 33 of his 58 targets for just two touchdowns. In 2024, he had a career-best 479 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 36 receptions. It didn't help his cause in 2025 that quarterback Joe Burrow missed eight games with a toe injury. The Bengals' third receiver will go undrafted in 12-team fantasy leagues this fall, but an injury to Chase or Higgins would make Iosivas an interesting waiver-wire pickup. He finished his third year in the NFL as the No. 70 overall receiver in half-PPR scoring, averaging just 4.9 fantasy points per game.

Mar 15

Josh Johnson • QB • Bengals

Josh Johnson Signs With Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals announced on Saturday that they signed free-agent journeyman quarterback Josh Johnson to an undisclosed deal. Johnson will continue his NFL career into his 11th season, and this will be his second stint with Cincinnati, as he also played for them back in 2013. The 39-year-old veteran has suited up for seven different teams in his career. He was with the Washington Commanders in 2025, going 34-for-54 for 372 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions in five games (two starts). The Bengals needed some more quarterback depth going into the 2026 season after Jake Browning signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency. As things currently stand, Johnson figures to compete with Sean Clifford for backup duties behind starter Joe Burrow. In his 10 NFL seasons, Johnson has completed only 58.7% of his 412 pass attempts for 2,669 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions.

Mar 15

Jonathan Allen • DL • Bengals

Bengals Signing Jonathan Allen to Two-Year Deal

The Cincinnati Bengals are signing veteran free-agent defensive tackle Jonathan Allen to a two-year, $26 million deal on Thursday, a source told Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Allen can make a maximum of $28 million over two years through performance-based incentives. The 31-year-old two-time Pro Bowler will make the jump to the AFC North as he heads into his 10th NFL season after spending 2025 with the Minnesota Vikings, where he had a career-high 68 tackles (29 solo), 3.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, 11 QB hits, and a fumble recovery in 17 starts. He finished just inside the top-50 defensive linemen in IDP fantasy formats. The former 17th overall pick by Washington in 2017 out of Alabama is expected to serve as a starting interior defensive lineman in 2026 for a Bengals defense that needs all the help it can get after letting star pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson walk in free agency. Allen has 469 total tackles (270 solo) and 45.5 sacks in his nine NFL seasons, starting in 125 of the 126 games he's appeared in.

Mar 12

Orlando Brown Jr. • OT • Bengals

Orlando Brown Jr. Signs Two-Year Extension With Bengals

Left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. signed an undisclosed two-year contract extension with the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. Brown is a cornerstone of Cincy's offensive line and also a Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee. On an offensive line that has seen its fair share of struggles in recent seasons, Brown is the prime protector of Pro Bowl quarterback Joe Burrow, so he's a pretty important piece of the offense. The 29-year-old previously signed a four-year, $64 million deal that made him the biggest free-agent signing in Bengals history at the time. In his eight seasons in the league, Brown has a Super Bowl ring, four Pro Bowl berths, and a franchise tag. Not only has Brown's play been top-notch, but he's played in all 17 regular-season games in two of his three seasons in Cincinnati.

Mar 12

Noah Fant • TE • Bengals

Saints Agree to Terms With Noah Fant on Two-Year Deal

The New Orleans Saints agreed to terms with free-agent tight end Noah Fant on an undisclosed two-year deal, sources told Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Fant will give the Saints some additional tight end depth behind Juwan Johnson, with both Foster Moreau and Taysom Hill (knee) being free agents. The 28-year-old former first-round pick by the Denver Broncos in 2019 out of Iowa had a career-low 288 yards and three touchdowns on 34 receptions (41 targets) in 15 games (seven starts) in his lone season with the Cincinnati Bengals last year. Before that, Fant spent three years with the Seattle Seahawks, never topping 500 receiving yards or four touchdowns in his time there. His career-high of 673 receiving yards came in 2020 with Denver in his second year in the league. Unless Johnson misses time with an injury in 2026, Fant won't be a target in standard-sized 12-team fantasy leagues.

Mar 9

Jake Browning • QB • Bengals

Bengals Not Tendering Restricted Free Agent Jake Browning

The Cincinnati Bengals are not tendering restricted free agent quarterback Jake Browning, who will now reach free agency after three seasons with the team. Browning started seven games for the Bengals in 2023, going 4-3 while putting up respectable numbers and making himself a popular fantasy handcuff in dynasty leagues. When pressed into service in 2025, the results were less favorable: Browning went 0-3 across his three starts, throwing eight interceptions, and prompting the team to trade for a 40-year-old Joe Flacco. With Flacco also slated to hit free agency, Cincinnati is reportedly open to bringing Browning back, though they'll now allow him to test the market.

Mar 9

Joe Flacco • QB • Bengals

Joe Flacco Could Return to Bengals as Backup

Veteran free-agent quarterback Joe Flacco wants an opportunity to at least compete for a starting job somewhere in 2026. However, if he's forced to settle for backup work, Flacco would "strongly consider" returning to the Cincinnati Bengals to back up Joe Burrow, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. The 41-year-old made his first Pro Bowl team in 2025 after initially beginning the season with the Cleveland Browns as their starter. Cincy traded for Flacco after Burrow went down with a turf-toe injury early in the season, and Flacco proceeded to pull more magic out of his hat by throwing for 1,664 yards, 13 touchdowns, and four interceptions in nine games (six starts) for the Bengals. He became a waiver-wire pickup in fantasy leagues for QB-needy managers and had some decent performances along the way. There don't appear to be any glaring options for Flacco to be handed another starting job, so the likelihood of him returning to Cincy could be pretty high.

Mar 8

Trey Hendrickson • DE • Bengals

Cowboys Expected to Turn Their Attention to Trey Hendrickson

The Dallas Cowboys thought they were close to a deal to acquire All-Pro pass-rusher Maxx Crosby from the Las Vegas Raiders on Wednesday night, but since then, other teams have raised the ante and potentially are offering the Raiders two first-round picks, according to Trey Wingo. As a result, the Cowboys are expected to shift their focus to Cincinnati Bengals impending free-agent defensive end Trey Hendrickson (hip, pelvis). The Bengals didn't use another franchise tag on Hendrickson, so he will most likely walk in free agency after spending the last five years in Cincy. The 31-year-old veteran only played in seven games in 2025 due to hip/pelvis injuries that eventually led to core-muscle surgery. However, he will still be one of the top pass-rushers available in free agency after reaching 17.5 sacks in both 2023 and 2024. Hendrickson would help replace pass-rusher Micah Parsons, who was traded to the Packers last fall in exchange for two first-rounders and defensive tackle Kenny Clark.

Mar 5

Trey Hendrickson • DE • Bengals

Trey Hendrickson Eyeing the Buccaneers?

Cincinnati Bengals impending free-agent pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson, who didn't receive the franchise tag from the Bengals, could be looking to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency. "I think that he would love to be in Tampa," Schefter said. "Tampa would be a great fit. I think in a perfect world, Trey would like to stay in Florida. No state income tax. But, he's also open to going to the best possible situation." The 31-year-old four-time Pro Bowler is unlikely to re-sign with the Bengals, making him one of the most attractive edge rushers on the open market this offseason, even though he only played in seven games last year and eventually required core-muscle surgery. Hendrickson was a first-team All-Pro in 2024 and had back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons in 2023 and 2024 for Cincy. He has 81 sacks in his nine NFL seasons and would be a tremendous pass-rush upgrade for Tampa.

Mar 4

Trey Hendrickson • DE • Bengals

Bengals Not Using the Franchise Tag on Trey Hendrickson

The Cincinnati Bengals are not using the franchise tag on star pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson (hip, pelvis) at the deadline on Tuesday, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Hendrickson, a four-time Pro Bowler from 2021 to 2024, only played in seven games in 2025 due to hip/pelvis injuries, and he eventually had core-muscle surgery in December. In his seven games last year, Hendrickson recorded only 16 tackles (11 solo), four sacks, and eight QB hits. He has 81 total sacks in his nine NFL seasons, though, and had back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons for the Bengals in 2023 and 2024. The 31-year-old former third-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in 2017 out of Florida Atlantic is coming off an injury-plagued season, but he'll immediately become one of the best pass-rushers available in free agency. Hendrickson should be fully recovered from offseason surgery and ready to go in Week 1.

Mar 3

Dalton Risner • G • Bengals

Bengals, Dalton Risner Agree to New Extension

The Cincinnati Bengals and offensive guard Dalton Risner agreed to a new, undisclosed contract extension on Monday, sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. Risner started 11 games for the Bengals last season and fit in perfectly on their offensive line. Getting him back in the fold for 2026 and beyond was a priority for Cincy this offseason, and now it's done. The 30-year-old former second-round pick by the Denver Broncos in 2019 out of Kansas State spent the first four years of his NFL career in Denver before playing with the Minnesota Vikings in 2023 and 2024. Risner has started 92 of the 101 games he's appeared in over his seven NFL seasons. He started 11 of the 14 games he was active for in 2025 with the Bengals. Risner's return is ultimately good news for Cincy's offense as they look to return to the postseason this fall.

Mar 2

Trey Hendrickson • DE • Bengals

Bengals Not Ruling Out Trey Hendrickson Returning

Cincinnati Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said on Sirius XM NFL Radio this week that he wouldn't rule out the return of All-Pro pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson. "I never will rule out any possibility," Tobin said. "He's a good football player. So, is there a chance he'll be with us? We're in the business of good football players, so I can't rule it out. But I don't know what the future holds." If the Bengals were to place the franchise tag on Hendrickson, it would cost north of $30 million with a salary cap hit of $36.7 million. A tag-and-trade scenario will be difficult, so if the two sides cannot work out an extension, the most likely scenario is that the Bengals just let Hendrickson walk in free agency. The 31-year-old had back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons in 2023 and 2024, but he had just four sacks in seven games last year while ending the season on Injured Reserve due to a core-muscle injury. If Hendrickson reaches the open market, he'll be one of the top edge rushers available.

Feb 26

Chase Brown • RB • Bengals

Is Chase Brown Emerging as a High-End Dynasty Asset?

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown still has one year left on his rookie contract and is hopeful to sign an extension that his representation has been working on since at least late January. Brown stands unchallenged atop the Bengals' running back depth chart, playing in all 17 games in the 2025 season with an average rush share of 70%. While his rushing touches are important, Brown sets himself apart from his peers and is a valuable dynasty asset because of his involvement in Cincinnati's passing game. With quarterback Joe Burrow at the helm from Weeks 13-17, Brown hauled in 25 of his 26 targets and scored three touchdowns through the air. Brown is a young, proven back and, despite some low-scoring weeks early in the 2025 season, earned fantasy managers over 15 PPR points in every game from Weeks 8 through 18. His consistency and potential for RB1 weeks make him a valuable dynasty piece to target in trades or during start-up drafts.

Feb 24

Cincinnati Bengals News

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