Bengals Free Agent Profile: Lucas Patrick’s reason for staying in Cincinnati is different from when he came to town

Lucas Patrick took on a different role during his first year with the Bengals.

John Sheeran — Cincinnati Bengals News Writer

Feb 21, 2026 10:27 AM EST

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.

Almost everything Cincinnati will do with its offensive line this offseason will be fortifying the depth instead of needing to find multiple starters like last year. One of the possible solutions from last year’s efforts could be coming back, but with a different role in mind.

Lucas Patrick

Position: Guard/Center
Age for 2027 Season: 33
Incoming NFL Year: 10th
Previous AAV: $2.1 million
2026 Snap %: 2.1%

Lucas Patrick was signed by Cincinnati last offseason in the second week of free agency. Patrick was the lone veteran guard the Bengals signed before the 2025 NFL Draft arrived and Dylan Fairchild joined the room as a third-round pick. Patrick was brought in to compete for the starting right guard gig, and had a really promising chance to win that battle before training camp arrived. He suffered a calf injury that sidelined him leading up to the first preseason game.

Patrick ended up winning the job for Week 1, but his calf injury caught up to him and took him out in the second quarter. He went on the Reserve/Injured list for several weeks and didn’t play in another game until Week 8. Rookie Jalen Rivers was starting at RG by then, and when Rivers went down in week 11, it was Dalton Risner, signed over five months after Patrick, who took Rivers’ place.

Patrick at this point was relegated to reserve status, and due to an injury from backup center Matt Lee, Cincinnati had effectively replaced Lee’s roster spot with Patrick. The majority of his career has been at C, so the potential versatility was always in play. He played a handful of snaps as an extra blocker in two if the final five games.

Contract History and Projection

Patrick signed a one-year, $2.1 million deal last year which included $200,000 in guaranteed money. His previous contract was a one-year, $1,311,944 with the New Orleans Saints in 2024. The largest deal he’s ever signed came before that; a two-year, $8 million deal with the Chicago Bears from 2022.

Spotrac.com’s calculated market value for Patrick is a one-year, $1,327,480 million deal, a notable decrease in pay from his 2025 deal.

Prediction

There were no promises made when Patrick signed a year ago. He competed to fill out the Bengals’ starting line, and injury got in the way. Injury also gave Patrick a new role to end the year once his health returned, and that may be the reason why he comes back for another year.

Patrick should be even more affordable this offseason, and with uncertainty surrounding Lee’s prospects behind staring C and captain Ted Karras, it makes sense to keep Patrick around at least for the offseason as a backup. I think another one-year deal gets done, but a younger option acquired with a late-round pick also makes sense.