Bengals Roster Breakdown: Trent Brown is the biggest of several skyscrapers along Cincinnati's offensive line

Throughout the summer leading up to the regular season, we will go through the entire 2024 Cincinnati Bengals roster. Every single day until the season opener against the New England Patriots, we will break down a player on the roster including his background, contract status, and path towards making the team.Today, the largest player on […]

John Sheeran — Cincinnati Bengals News Writer
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Trent Brown
© Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Throughout the summer leading up to the regular season, we will go through the entire 2024 Cincinnati Bengals roster. Every single day until the season opener against the New England Patriots, we will break down a player on the roster including his background, contract status, and path towards making the team.

Today, the largest player on the roster comes into frame. Offensive tackle Trent Brown brings 100 games worth of experience to the Bengals' offensive line with over 3,000 snaps at both tackle spots. In a group of tackles all at least 6-8, he manages to cast a shadow over all of them.

Trent Brown

  • Age: 31
  • Year: 10th
  • Position: Offensive tackle
  • College: Florida
  • Previous Teams: San Francisco 49ers, Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots
  • Jersey Number: 77

Brown was drafted by the 49ers with the 244th overall pick in the seventh round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He spent two years at Florida following two years at Georgia Military College. He played 23 games for the Gators and made 11 starts at both guard and tackle. He showed up at the NFL Scouting Combine at 6-8 and 355 pounds with an 87.375" wingspan, but nearly went undrafted before the Niners picked him late in the seventh round.

After playing in a handful of games as rookie, Brown emerged as San Francisco's starting right tackle in 2016 and played in every single game, including one start at left tackle. He started the first nine games of the 2017 season before a shoulder injury kept him out of all but one game the rest of the year. The 49ers traded him to the Patriots in the 2018 offseason, and he helped New England win its sixth and final Super Bowl of the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady dynasty by starting every game at left tackle. 

The Patriots chose not to re-sign Brown, whom joined the Las Vegas Raiders in 2019. He started 11 games at right tackle and was named to his first Pro Bowl right before being placed on injured reserve with a pectoral injury. He only played in five games for the Raiders in 2020 as he missed six contests due to a combination of COVID-19 and a pregame IV incident hospitalized him and nearly killed him.

Las Vegas traded him back to New England in the 2021, and he would spent the next three seasons with the team he won a championship with years prior. He played nine games at right tackle in his first year back after suffering a calf injury in the season-opener. He re-signed with the Pats in 2022 and played a full season at left tackle. He stayed on the left side in 2023 and played 11 games (8) starts. He dealt with several injuries throughout his final year in New England including an ankle injury that forced him out a couple games.

Contract details

Brown signed a one-year, $4.75 million contract with the Bengals this offseason. He will earn a base salary of $1.5 million for the 2024 season. He's already earned $2 million from his signing bonus, and he can earn up to $1 million in per game roster bonuses as well.

Because he missed six games last season, $352,941 of his per game roster bonuses are considered not likely to be earned, which drops his cap number for the season to $4,397,059.

Roster outlook

Brown wasn't promised the starting right tackle job when he signed with the Bengals in March. There was an understanding that competition was likely to arrive from the draft, and that competition became first-round pick Amarius Mims. Mims spent all spring repping with the starters while Brown was away for personal reasons, and the rookie seemed to have the job locked down before a strained pec took him out after the preseason opener. Brown also spent the first two weeks of camp recovering from back tightness. 

Now that Brown is back and Mims is still on the mend, the veteran is likely the favorite to start in Week 1. Mims could still come back before then and restart the competition, but availability is back in Brown's favor. He's been around long enough to know how to get ready for the regular season.

If Brown's needed to play, he'll be ready. If not, he becomes the best swing tackle the Bengals have had since Anthony Collins.

Projected role: Starting right tackle/swing tackle

Previous player breakdowns

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