3 players Bengals must let walk in free agency during NFL offseason

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3 players Bengals must let walk in free agency during NFL offseason

Gerard Angelo Samillano, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Wed, Feb 18, 2026 ·

4 min read

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After a disastrous 2025 season, the Cincinnati Bengals are ready for revenge. Last season was a year full of frustration, as injuries and poor play hindered the team from reaching their full potentia l. While they played better to end the year, the rest of the season showed that there are clear issues on the team that need to be fixed.

The defense, in particular, is a major concern. The Bengals were arguably the worst defense last season, allowing even the worst teams on offense to run up the score on them. Some players on the team are ready to be replaced, as they've likely overstayed their welcome in Cincinnati. Let's look at which free agents the Bengals should let go this offseason.

Bengals' free agents

The biggest free agent for the Bengals this offseason is star pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson . Hendrickson, who had a contract dispute with the team earlier this season, is set to test the market. Keeping Hendrickson on the team is their top priority, but it will be difficult for the team to do that.

There are other players on the Bengals' defense who will hit free agency. Safety Geno Stone 's two-year contract with Cincinnati is up, and so is cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt's rookie deal. Pass rushers Cam Sample and Joseph Ossai will also test the market this year.

On the other side of the ball, the most notable free agent is quarterback Joe Flacco . Flacco backed up Joe Burrow this season and even started for the Bengals while Burrow was injured. Other free agents on offense are tight end Noah Fant , offensive linemen Cordell Volson and Dalton Risner , and quarterback Jake Browning (restricted free agent). The Bengals have 15 free agents this offseason.

Geno Stone, S

Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

In a year where the Bengals' shoddy tackling stood out, Geno Stone was the worst offender on the defense. The former Baltimore Ravens safety had a penchant for haphazardly throwing his body around instead of properly tackling the ball-carrier. That often led to big plays from the opposing team. The most egregious incident was in Week 9, when Stone missed a routine tackle on Colston Loveland that led to a game-winning touchdown for the Bears.

There's virtually no upside in keeping Stone on the team: Jordan Battle is great as the other safety, and his missed tackles are not a one-off issue. The Bengals would simply be better off without Stone on the roster next season.

Cameron Taylor-Britt, CB

Once upon a time, Cameron Taylor-Britt was the future of the Cincinnati Bengals ' defense. During his first two seasons, Taylor-Britt emerged as one of the better lockdown cornerbacks on the team. While there were some issues here and there, the hope was that CTB could work through these issues and become the lockdown corner every championship team needs.

Instead, Taylor-Britt regressed throughout the season. His 2025 campaign was his worst one so far: CTB got picked on by the Bengals' opponents so much that he was benched later in the season. He allowed a 67.9% completion rate when targeted last year.

Most projections online peg Taylor-Britt's market value to be around $9 million this season. That's a bit too high for a player like CTB. If the Bengals are unable to keep the cornerback on a lower deal, it's better to let the cornerback walk.

Joseph Ossai, EDGE

One of the biggest weaknesses of the Bengals last season was their pass-rush, or their utter lack of a competent pass-rush. With Hendrickson sidelined with an injury for most of the year, Cincinnati's inability to generate pressure outside of their star. It's clear that a rehaul needs to happen, especially with Hendrickson's exit seemingly becoming more inevitable.

Joseph Ossai is one of these pass-rushers who hasn't quite made a name for himself over the last few seasons. His most notable moment over the course of his career was his penalty in the 2023 AFC Championship Game that gave the Chiefs prime field position. While he's improved since then, the improvement hasn't been enough to warrant keeping him on the team.

With Myles Murphy coming into his own and another top-10 pick on the horizon, the Bengals could feasibly let Ossai go. Like Taylor-Britt, Ossai's projected contract is around $9 million: a touch too high for a player who hasn't recorded more than five sacks in one season.

Statistics taken from ProFootballReference.com

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