The Cincinnati Bengals are staring down one of their most pivotal offseasons in recent memory, and right now, they’re playing with fire.
There’s a long checklist ahead for Duke Tobin and the front office-nailing the NFL Draft, finding impact players in free agency, and maybe even restructuring some contracts to free up cap space. But before any of that?
The Bengals need to take care of their own. And at the top of that list is right guard Dalton Risner.
Risner, who arrived as a late addition last offseason, brought something this team has desperately needed: stability on the right side of the offensive line. Since Joe Burrow entered the league, that spot has been a revolving door, a weak link that’s been exploited time and again.
Risner changed that. He wasn’t just a plug-in body-he was a steadying force in pass protection, a key component in the run game’s improvement, and a veteran presence for rookie right tackle Amarius Mims.
So why hasn’t he been re-signed yet?
That’s the question echoing around Cincinnati right now. It’s not about money-at least, it shouldn’t be.
Risner isn’t commanding top-tier guard money. He’s never made more than $3.7 million in a season.
A two-year deal worth $5-6 million annually would be more than fair, and with the Bengals potentially opening up close to $100 million in cap space through restructures, it’s a drop in the bucket.
But instead of locking him in, the Bengals seem content to let Risner drift toward the open market. And the signs are starting to show.
Dalton’s wife, Whitney Risner, recently posted on social media about the family splitting time between two homes-neither of which is in Cincinnati. One of those homes?
Kansas City. That’s not nothing.
When asked directly about Dalton’s future, Whitney responded that he’ll be a free agent in March and “could end up anywhere.” Technically, yes, he’s still a Bengal-for now.
But that’s not exactly a ringing endorsement of a return.
And that’s where the concern creeps in.
NFL families are used to moving. It’s part of the job.
But this doesn’t feel like a family preparing for another season in Cincinnati. It feels like a family bracing for change.
The Bengals have a chance to avoid that. They have the cap flexibility.
They have the need. And most importantly, they have a player who wants to be here.
Risner said it himself earlier this month: “This is where I want to be. I want to play for this organization.
I want to be a Cincinnati Bengal.” That kind of loyalty is rare in today’s NFL.
Ignoring it would send a message-to the locker room, to the fanbase, and yes, to Joe Burrow.
Because this offseason isn’t just about Dalton Risner. It’s about the trajectory of the franchise.
The Bengals have missed the playoffs three straight years. If they whiff again in 2026, questions about Burrow’s long-term future will only get louder.
And if the offensive line regresses-especially after losing someone as steady as Risner-those questions could turn into demands.
The Bengals don’t need to make a splash here. They just need to make the right move.
Re-signing Risner is low-risk, high-reward. It keeps a key piece in place for an offensive line that’s finally starting to gel.
It shows players around the league-and in the building-that Cincinnati takes care of its own. And it helps protect the franchise quarterback the team has built everything around.
This isn’t a complicated decision. It’s a foundational one. And the Bengals need to get it right.