Cincinnati Bengals’ updated list of pending 2027 free agents at the bye week reveals several key players are playing out contract seasons
An early look at the Cincinnati Bengals’ 2027 free agent class shows nearly half of the Week 1 starting lineup is playing out their contracts right now.
The Cincinnati Bengals are 3-2 in the middle of their bye week. They have 12 games after the break to take control and charge to the postseason. It may be the last time they’ll have a chance with a roster that looks like it does right now.
Cincinnati has 26 pending free agents in 2027, including 10 Week 1 starters and a main specialist. Some of them may be extended or re-signed, but many snaps being played by players who are most likely on the way out. It’s the nature of the NFL and roster turnover, and it should hit the Bengals pretty hard next year.
With no game to focus on this weekend, let’s take a look at all the pending free agents Cincinnati will focus on when the season is over and done.
Cincinnati Bengals’ 2027 free agents
| Player / Pos. | Type | Age (For ’27) |
|---|---|---|
| S PJ Jules | ERFA | 26 |
| OT Javon Foster | ERFA | 27 |
| C Jacob Bayer | ERFA | 25 |
| LB Swayze Bozeman | ERFA | 29 |
| LB Jack Kiser | ERFA | 27 |
| P Ryan Rehkow | RFA | 29 |
| WR Mitch Tinsley | RFA | 28 |
| LB Joe Giles-Harris | RFA | 30 |
| CB DJ Turner II | UFA | 27 |
| CB Dax Hill | UFA | 27 |
| S Jordan Battle | UFA | 27 |
| DE Myles Murphy | UFA | 25 |
| RB Chase Brown | UFA | 27 |
| C Ted Karras | UFA | 34 |
| G Dalton Risner | UFA | 32 |
| TE Drew Sample | UFA | 31 |
| RB Samaje Perine | UFA | 32 |
| CB Jalen Davis | UFA | 31 |
| DT TJ Slaton Jr. | UFA | 30 |
| WR Andrei Iosivas | UFA | 28 |
| TE Tanner Hudson | UFA | 33 |
| S Kyle Dugger | UFA | 31 |
| CB DJ Ivey | UFA | 27 |
| LB Oren Burks | UFA | 32 |
| CB Ja’Sir Taylor | UFA | 28 |
| QB Joe Flacco | Void | 42 |
Explaining the different types of NFL free agents
There are four different types of free agents Cincinnati will deal with in 2027
- UFA: If Unrestricted Free Agents (UFAs) are not re-signed by March, the beginning of the new league year, they are free to sign with any team at the start of free agency and legal tampering. The Bengals have several players slated for unrestricted free agency this year, including many considered starters on offense and defense.
- RFA: Restricted Free Agents (RFAs) are players with three accrued seasons and an expired contract. They can negotiate with other teams even if they’re offered an RFA contract tender. Those teams can sign the RFA to an offer sheet, but Cincinnati would have the right to match it. If the Bengals decide not to match the offer, they can receive draft compensation for the player, depending on the tender type.
- ERFA: Exclusive Rights Free Agents (ERFAs) are free agents who have not yet accrued three seasons in the NFL. Cincy holds exclusive negotiating rights with its ERFAs. If an ERFA receives a qualifying contract offer before free agency, the player can’t refuse it. That player can reach unrestricted free agency only if the team does not give a qualifying offer.
- Void: Players with “Void” in the free agent type column will have their contracts voided before the start of the new league year. Teams can renegotiate a deal before contracts void in order to prevent a player from reaching free agency. If a contract voids, players become Street Free Agents (SFAs). They will not count toward the compensatory pick formula.
Many decisions with Bengals’ 2023 NFL Draft class
Jordan Battle, Chase Brown, Andrei Iosivas, Myles Murphy, and DJ Turner II are all former draftees from the Bengals’ 2023 draft class set to hit free agency next offseason. That’s five starters who’ve all been together since the beginning of their careers.
Brown and Murphy have had relatively underwhelming starts to the year. Iosivas has been hurt for the last three weeks. Battle has been a roller coaster. Turner has been the only one playing near his potential, and there were legitimate extension talks with him prior to the season that never got close to the finish line. He may be headed toward a franchise tag at this rate.
Veterans on offense to keep an eye on
Two-fifths of Cincy’s starting offensive line is in the midst of contract years. Ted Karras and Dalton Risner are holding it down at center ad right guard, respectively, but the Bengals are seemingly preparing for the next generation after drafting Connor Lew and Brian Parker II in the 2026 draft.
Samaje Perine and Joe Flacco are also reliable elders operating behind the o-line. Perine might become RB1B to Brown’s RB1A when the team returns from the bye, and Flacco was prioritized to return as Joe Burrow’s backup quarterback. Hopefully he is not needed outside of garbage time in blowout victories.
You cannot forget about Drew Sample either. The longest-tenured Bengal is entering his early 30s and while a return is certainly possible next year, the price has to be right for the club to keep investing in a player outside of his 20s.
