Bengals get down to one thing they have to do this offseason before adding a few cherries on top
The Cincinnati Bengals have signed cornerback Tacario Davis to his rookie contract. Davis was selected in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Cincinnati now only has one unsigned player on its roster.
Another member of the Cincinnati Bengals’ 2026 NFL Draft class has signed his rookie contract.
Cornerback Tacario Davis, selected with the No. 72 pick in the third round, signed his four-year rookie deal Wednesday afternoon.
Davis joins five other Bengals draft picks with signed contracts. Center Connor Lew (pick No. 128), wide receiver Colbie Young (pick No. 140), offensive tackle Brian Parker II (pick No. 189), tight end Jack Endries (pick No. 221), and defensive tackle Landon Robinson (pick No. 226) all signed leading up to rookie minicamp.
All who’s left is the first player Cincinnati picked in the draft.
Cashius Howell becomes last Bengals rookie to sign his contract
Cashius Howell is not only the Bengals’ last unsigned rookie, he’s the last player on the entire roster without a contract.
Howell has signed the participation waiver and is participating in offseason workouts with his new teammates. He also said last week his deal should come together soon.
“As far as the contract goes, my agent says it should be done here in like the next week, week or two,” Howell told Local 12’s Yanni Tragellis. “So just gotta be patient with it, obviously it’s not a rush, can’t rush and things like that.”
Signing Howell is an inevitability, and it’s the last task Cincinnati needs to accomplish before training camp arrives in late July. There are a few other moves the club will want to make this offseason.
Extensions on the horizon
Howell’s contract will be worth four years. The Bengals would like to keep cornerbacks Dax Hill and DJ Turner II around for that many additional seasons as well.
Turner and Hill are each entering contract years, and the club has expressed a desire to extend both of them this offseason. Davis was drafted to provide depth behind them this year, and if only one gets extended, he may be taking a starting role from the one who leaves.
Cincy doesn’t want that to happen if deals can be reached sometime before Week 1. The same can be said of Howell and Myles Murphy, who’s now in a contract year himself after the Bengals declined to use his fifth-year option.
Murphy is said to be in the Bengals’ long-term plans. Those plans would be much easier to make reality with an extension before he plays out the upcoming season.
Much more money is to be spent this offseason by Cincinnati. Howell’s contract will be the cheapest compared to the potential extensions, but it will be done in time.