Getty Hayden Hurst #81 of the Atlanta Falcons.
The Atlanta Falcons have lost another player to free agency in tight end, Hayden Hurst.
According to Hursts’ agency, Enter Sports Management, he has signed a one-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals.
We are excited to announce that #TeamESM client @haydenrhurst has agreed to terms with the @Bengals on a 1-year deal! #WhoDey
And from what it sounds like, he is about to get treated better than he did in Atlanta.
Hurst addressed Cincy’s local media where he said “he’s happy to be with a franchise that values him. Said joining QB Joe Burrow was a no-brainer,” via ESPN’s Ben Baby.
Hurst added, “The Atlanta thing didn’t really work out like I was told it was going to.”
Hayden Hurst: “The Atlanta thing didn’t really work out like I was told it was going to.”
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Atlanta Replaced Hurst With Kyle Pitts
After Atlanta’s starting tight end Austin Hooper left for Cleveland in 2020, the Falcons fully invested in the former Ravens’ tight end and sent a second-round and a fifth-round pick to Baltimore in exchange for Hurst and a fourth-round selection.
Hurst was the Falcons’ No. 1 option at tight end until he was replaced by rookie tight end Kyle Pitts, whom Atlanta drafted at No. 4 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Hurst will enter his fifth NFL season with the almost-Super Bowl LIV champions after spending the last two years in Atlanta. He joins the Bengals who are in need of a new starting tight end after losing veteran C.J. Uzomah to the New York Jets.
Hurst finished the 2021 season catching 26 passes for 221 yards and three touchdowns. And before losing his place to Pitts, Hurst recorded 571 yards and six touchdowns on 56 receptions.
Over a total of 57 career games, Hurst has caught 125 career passes on 181 targets for 1,304 yards (10.4 avg) and 12 scores.
Falcons Lose Two More Key Assets to Free Agency
Falcons’ top linebacker, Foye Oluokon, agreed to a three-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Monday, March 14.
Rapoport detailed that the deal is worth up to $46.5 million with $28 million guaranteed and added that the Falcons “worked hard” to retain the league’s 2022 leading tackler.