After a 6-11 season, the Cincinnati Bengals have officially entered their offseason. It’s been a quiet beginning to the offseason for Cincinnati, as the team decided to make no major changes in their front office or coaching staff. They are the only team in the AFC North that currently has its head coach, as their three division rivals either fired their head coach or, in Pittsburgh’s case, saw their head coach step down.
Despite finishing third in the division and missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season, team president Mike Brown still holds belief in the core group that led Cincinnati to the Super Bowl in the 2021 season. Whether general manager Duke Tobin and head coach Zac Taylor manage to revert their fortunes and go back to their winning ways in 2026 remains to be seen.
Bengals Expected to Cut Ties With Player
Currently, the Bengals rank eight in the NFL with the most cap space available. They have an estimated available cap space of over $65 million this offseason. With a number of impending free agents, like All-Pro pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, the Bengals will have a number of key decisions to make.
Ultimately, the team can still increase their cap space if they were to cut ties with some veteran players on the roster. A name that might be on the cutting block is offensive lineman Cody Ford. Ford made headlines in Cincinnati’s Week 17 win as he went viral with a 21-yard reception on his birthday. Unfortunately, despite the highlight-worthy play, Ford’s season did not amount to much. Prior to the 2025 season, Ford signed a two-year, $6 million contract with the Bengals, but he did not start any game this season and was primarily used as a swing tackle.
For that reason, The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. wrote that Cincinnati will likely cut him. He said, “I don’t see Ford on the 2026 roster, especially if the Bengals pluck a swing tackle in the draft. Putting that money toward a defensive player makes more sense.”
Dehner noted that one of the reasons Ford had a disappointing season was he arrived out of shape at the beginning of training camp. He wrote that Ford’s role was minimal up until the previously mentioned 21-yard catch. In the 2024 season, Ford played in nearly 700 snaps as he started eight out of the final nine games of the season. However, he played less than 100 snaps in the 2025 season.
Cincinnati Bengals Offseason Outlook
Potentially cutting Ford is just one of many decisions the Bengals will have to make this offseason. Other key players who might find themselves being released for cap space include: Orlando Brown Jr., T.J Slaton, B.J. Hill, and Oren Burks. However, Dehner expects Cincinnati to retain all of them for the 2026 season.
Additionally, the Bengals have three upcoming free agents which are expected to make over $15 million per year in their upcoming contract according to Spotrac. Those players include previously mentioned All-Pro pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, Cam Taylor-Britt, and Joseph Ossai.
Bengals Expected to Cut Ties With Player After Season