Preseason and training camp are all about competition, and for the Cincinnati Bengals that is no different.
Despite going all-in this offseason and having a pretty good idea of what the team’s nucleus will look like next season, there are still plenty of tough decisions yet to be made by the team’s front office.
Among those decisions is which players to keep and which players to cut ties with as they select their 53-man roster. Now, one NFL analyst has chimed in and pushed the Bengals to cut a veteran player before the season.
Cincinnati Bengals Pushed to Cut Veteran Tight End
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton listed one player each NFL team should cut before the 2026 NFL season. For the Cincinnati Bengals, Moton listed veteran tight end Tanner Hudson.
Moton wrote: “Tanner Hudson could be on the outs within a healthy Cincinnati Bengals tight end room.
In 2024, Erick All Jr. tore his ACL and missed the entire 2025 campaign. Mike Gesicki missed four games last year. They’re both at full strength. By the way, Cincinnati selected Jack Endries in the seventh round of this year’s draft.
Given that Gesicki is a proven pass-catcher, and the Bengals used a fourth-round pick on All two years ago, they’re near locks to make the roster. Drew Sample is the team’s best blocking tight end.
Hudson doesn’t stand out in any particular way in the Bengals’ tight end room. Moreover, he’ll turn 32 in November. Cincinnati may want to tap into the upside of younger players at the position in the upcoming term.”
Since joining the Bengals in 2023, Hudson has seen a steady decline in snaps each season. Hudson has totaled 77 receptions for 674 receiving yards and four touchdowns. The veteran has appeared in 38 total games for Cincinnati and started two of them. He has totaled over $6.7 million in career earnings, according to Spotrac.
Aside from his decline in snap counts, perhaps Hudson’s roster spot could be in jeopardy after one of Cincinnati’s draft picks impressed during his preseason debut.
Cincinnati Bengals Tight Ends
Despite re-signing Hudson to a one-year, $1.3 million contract this offseason, the Cincinnati Bengals also addressed the tight end position in the 2026 NFL Draft. They drafted tight end Jack Endries in the seventh round as he was the 221st selection in the draft; however, he was ranked by The Ringer’s Todd McShay as the No. 159 overall prospect and No. 11 tight end.
In Thursday’s preseason opener against Detroit, fans saw a glimpse of Endries’ potential as he scored a touchdown and totaled three receptions for 25 yards.
Following Thursday’s game, Bengals on SI’s Jay Morrison released his updated 53-man roster projection, which featured five tight ends, including both Endries and Hudson
Morrison wrote regarding his decision to project five tight ends: “From 2006-23, the Bengals never kept more than four tight ends. They’ve rolled into the season with five in each of the past two seasons, mainly because Gesicki is a tight end in name only.”
As Morrison mentioned, Gesicki does not really play the role of a traditional tight end, which may lead to Cincinnati opting to keep Hudson.
Bengals Pushed to Cut Ties With $6.7 Million Starter Before NFL Season