After having one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL this season, this would be another hole they would have to fill if they lose him in free agency.
With the NFL free agency still just under a month and a half away, the Cincinnati Bengals face the most important offseason they have had in recent memory. After missing the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, it’s essential that general manager Duke Tobin builds a sufficient roster around superstar quarterback Joe Burrow to capitalize on the Super Bowl window that he can provide.
Burrow missed nine games this season due to turf toe, but when he played, it was evident that he is still among the best quarterbacks in the league. In 9 games, he threw 173 completions for 1,809 yards and 17 touchdowns with just five interceptions. The superstar wide receiver duo of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins combined for 184 receptions and 2,258 yards with 19 touchdowns.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) | © Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Having the offense at the peak of its powers, two glaring holes must be filled to return the Bengals to the upper echelon of teams in the NFL: the offensive line and the defense. With their picks in the first five rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Bengals selected defensive players or offensive linemen, but it’s clear that the impact of these rookies was limited. After the season, the Bengals were ranked 31st in the NFL in rookie production weighted by snaps (via PFF).
Dalton Risner, one of the Bengals’ top performers this season, broke news recently about buying a new home located in Kansas City. The former No. 41 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft is set to be a free agent this spring, and the location of his new home turned heads in the media. His wife, Whitney, took to Instagram to elaborate on the decision to move to Kansas City.
“A little background for anyone confused by [Kansas City],” said Mrs. Risner. “I grew up in a small town about an hour and a half from Kansas City, and Dalton and I both went to college in Kansas … As we head into this next chapter, being closer to our people was so important to us. We’ll still be keeping our home in Florida and plan to split time between both after football. Dalton is a free agent this year, so we truly could be anywhere this football season. We may not get to spend much time in this home right away, but we know we will eventually [heart emoji].”
Risner was able to resurrect a dreadful offensive line this season, filling in for one of the two rookies, Dylan Fairchild and Jalen Rivers. Losing him in free agency would be a gut punch to a line that will need veteran presence to help improve the young rookie and sophomore linemen.
Once the regular season ended, Risner was precise in articulating his desire to remain with the Bengals for 2026 (via X). It would be surprising to see him accept another one-year deal, but simultaneously, the Bengals organization is notorious for long, drawn-out, and unnecessary contract situations. It should be a no-brainer to keep Risner for the immediate future, especially with the seventh most salary cap space in the NFL (via Fox Sports).