Cincinnati Bengals are showing how they really feel about last year’s roster in free agency
Cincinnati is moving on from many players.
Another free agent from the Cincinnati Bengals has taken an offer from another team.
Safety Tycen Anderson has agreed to terms on a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Denver Broncos.
Anderson was with the Bengals going back to 2022 when they traded up for him in the fifth round of the NFL Draft that year. He missed his entire rookie season with a hamstring injury, and half of the 2023 season with a knee injury, but when he was healthy, he was a special teams ace for Cincinnati. He logged 850 special teams snaps in three years, notching 26 tackles, and leading those units in the third phase of the game.
The Bengals did offer Anderson a contract, but Denver is likely giving him a chance to play on defense, which he rarely got the chance to do with the team that drafted him. The 26-year old played just 65 snaps at safety for Cincinnati in the regular season.
Anderson will start anew on a new team, much like every Bengals free agent who entered last week with an expiring contract. Whether or not Cincinnati wanted to make a statement, that says a lot about how it feels about last year’s team.
Bengals have yet to re-sign one of their own free agents
Every roster move the Bengals have made in the month of March has been extended one of their player’s contracts, or signing unrestricted free agents to new contracts. Wide receiver Kendric Pryor and running back Kendall Milton were re-signed in February, but both players were spent most of last season on the practice squad and signed futures contracts.
NFL contracts do not expire until the end of the current league year. The 2025 league year ended on Mar. 11, and Cincinnati has allowed nine of its free agents to leave for other clubs.
Bengals Free Agents Leaving
- DE Joseph Ossai to New York Jets (three years, $36,000,000)
- TE Noah Fant to New Orleans Saints (two years, $8,750,000)
- G Cordell Volson to Tennessee Titans (one year, $3,215,000)
- DE Trey Hendrickson to Baltimore Ravens (four years, $112,000,000)
- QB Jake Browning to Tampa Bay Buccaneers (one year, $1,332,500)
- CB Marco Wilson to Miami Dolphins (one year, $1,315,000)
- S Geno Stone to Buffalo Bills (one year, $1,402,000)
- CB Cam Taylor-Britt to Indianapolis Colts (one year, $TBA)
- S Tycen Anderson to Denver Broncos (one year, $TBA)
The majority of these names were expected to move on to new opportunities, but not even one of them, including a valuable special teams leader in Anderson, being re-signed is an interesting development.
Cincinnati went 6-11 last year and hasn’t made the playoffs in the last three years. Despite only signing four UFAs, the roster is up to 68 players. An estimated 20 roster spots will eventually belong to rookies, both drafted and undrafted.
It really looks like the Bengals wanted to let as many of their own free agents leave, and at this rate, all of them could end up gone. Linebacker Brian Asamoah, quarterback Joe Flacco, offensive lineman Lucas Patrick, and defensive end Cam Sample are the only players from the 2025 roster still unsigned. Cincinnati at least wants Flacco back, but the 41-year old is still keeping his options open to potentially start for another team.
Flacco or no Flacco, the 2026 Bengals will be about as different from last year’s team as Cincinnati can make it without releasing anyone.
Cincinnati Bengals News
Bengals Free Agency Tracker: Extensions, re-signings, new additions, and departures from Cincinnati’s roster
Stay up to date with every free agency decision the Cincinnati Bengals make in 2026.
