We’re getting closer and closer to NFL free agency, and the Cincinnati Bengals have 16 players with expiring contracts. Who will re-sign with the team, and who will leave when the 2026 league year begins? We’ll go through all impending free agents before the madness begins.

There’s only one restricted free agent (RFA) the Bengals have to make a decision on this offseason, and he’s the reason why Joe Flacco was even traded for in the first place.

Jake Browning

Position: Quarterback
Age for 2027 Season: 30
Incoming NFL Year: 4th
Previous AAV: $972,500
2026 Snap %: 19.1%

Jake Browning was originally signed to Cincinnati’s practice squad right before the 2021 regular season began. The Bengals were playing Browning’s former team, the Minnesota Vikings, in Week 1 of that year, so the signing was almost looked at as a short-term strategic move. Browning ended up lasting on the practice squad for two years and won the right to be Joe Burrow’s backup following the 2023 preseason.

Browning was thrusted into action during the 2023 campaign when Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury. He started the final seven games of the season and turned many heads with how efficient he was following a rough first start. His promising stretch earned him a two-year contract in the 2024 offseason, locking him in as the No. 2 QB going forward.

Burrow would go down again in Week 2 of the 2025 season, but Browning wasn’t able to replicate his production in his second chance at starting. He was benched after three rough outings as the team traded for Flacco to start over him until Burrow returned in Week 13. Browning would play one snap for Flacco in Week 12, but did not see the field otherwise for the rest of the year.

Contract History and Projection

Browning signed a two-year, $1.945 million deal in 2024 that did not include any guaranteed money. Cincinnati essentially bought out his remaining years before he would accrue enough experience to become a restricted free agent.

Over The Cap’s projected value of a Right of First Refusal RFA tender is $3.547 million. Cincinnati could also wait until the 2026 league year arrives to offer Browning a smaller deal.

Prediction

There’s zero chance the Bengals will be giving Browning a raise in the form of any RFA tender after he played so poorly it caused them to uncharacteristically make a desperate midseason trade. Browning is actually quite lucky for this as he will be able to test the market when Cincinnati declines to tender him.

I just don’t see Browning back with the Bengals after everything that happened. His 2023 run gave him confidence he could be a starter one day, but his more recent crack at the job went as bad as it could’ve gone. Cincinnati will look to retain Flacco, and if that doesn’t work out, perhaps Browning will get a minimum offer. It would make sense for him to want a fresh start.

Bengals Free Agent Profiles

• Geno Stone
• Dalton Risner
• Joe Flacco
• Joseph Ossai
• Noah Fant
• Cam Taylor-Britt
• Trey Hendrickson
• Jalen Davis
• Cam Sample

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