Nineteen players on the Cincinnati Bengals are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents (UFAs) after they reach free agency. It’s safe to say that most fans anticipated the two guys I’m going to talk about here would be offseason departures when the 2023 season started.
But could that have altered for the Bengals after 13 weeks of play? Have these two men accomplished enough for the Bengals to think about bringing them back in 2024 and possibly even later? Would any of these athletes be keen to return to Cincinnati?
Let’s talk about these two players and why they might not be the most crazy people in the world if they sign a new contract.
Jonah Williams
Fans of the Bengals would have likely laughed and responded, “Yeah right,” if you had suggested a year ago that the organization might wish to re-sign Williams when his rookie contract ran out. Williams has performed well since moving to the right tackle position on the offensive line.
Williams has improved significantly from a year ago, with a run-blocking rating of 49.9 last year to 58.6 this year, and a PFF grade of 62.8. His main issue from the previous season is that he has allowed seven sacks, which ties him for fourth most in the league.
Williams, however, has performed admirably at right tackle and might finally provide the Bengals with a long-term alternative at the position. But the issue with re-signing him is that he won’t be inexpensive. According to Spotrac, Williams will make $74.6 million over the course of five years, with a yearly salary of $14.9 million. Most likely, the Bengals aren’t paying him a lot of money.
Williams, however, has performed admirably at right tackle and might finally provide the Bengals with a long-term alternative at the position. But the issue with re-signing him is that he won’t be inexpensive. According to Spotrac, Williams will make $74.6 million over the course of five years, with a yearly salary of $14.9 million. Most likely, the Bengals aren’t paying him a lot of money.
The manner Williams’ transition to right tackle was managed was another factor that made re-signing him appear unlikely. Williams was suddenly without a position as the Bengals hired Orlando Brown Jr. to be their new left tackle, as is well known. He had requested an exchange with the front desk, but that
Few people urged the Bengals to re-sign Sample when he became available for free agency last year. Ultimately, he was chosen in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft and never lived up to the expectations associated with that position. Sample worked out during the previous offseason with the Cardinals, but the Bengals quickly acquired him and brought him back to Queen City.
