Multiple Bengals Free Agents Echo Desire to Stay In Cincinnati For Next Career Stage

CINCINNATI — A few Bengals starters clearly want to return to the team this offseason, whether it's their first year wrapping up with the franchise or the end of multiple seasons on the roster.

Joseph Ossai, Cam Taylor-Britt, and Dalton Risner love being in Cincinnati, but understand the business of the NFL.

Ossai as much as anyone after he just wrapped a one-year deal with the team and his fifth overall campaign in Cincinnati.

He's played 1,784 snaps for the Bengals since the 2021 NFL Draft.

"It's been great," Ossai said on Monday. "There's been up and downs, for sure. But I'm most excited about the relationships I've built in those years, in those learning situations. I gained friends for life in those learning situations. So I wouldn't change any of that for the world. It's been great. You can't grow without going through some hurt. You know, that's why it's called Growing Pains. It's been a blessing. Hopefully there's more. If there's not, I hope I keep growing wherever I go."

CTB has been here nearly as long as Ossai, entering the league one year after the edge rusher as Cincinnati's 2022 second-round pick.

His 2025 season got cut short due to a Lisfranc injury. The veteran loves Cincinnati, but didn't shut down going somewhere else.

"I'm not opposed to it," Taylor-Britt said about leaving in free agency. "Nobody will be mad at a new change of scenery. As I said, it's not up to me. If it happens, I'll still be appreciative (of the time in Cincinnati)."

Risner has been here just a few months, but was the most adamant of anyone on the Monday microphone to get another Cincy stint.

He just posted arguably his best career season in stripes, despite going through the whirlwind of joining the team less than two weeks before the 2025 season kicked off.

"This is where I want to be. Unfortunately, I feel like there's a business aspect to it, but at the end of the day, I love this coaching staff," Risner said. "My offensive line coach, Scott Peters, and Mike McCarthy. I want to play next to Amarius Mims and Ted Karras, because who wouldn't? I want to play for Zac Taylor. I want to play for Dan Pitcher. I want to play for this organization. I want to be a Cincinnati Bengal.

"I want to block for Joe Burrow. I want to block for Chase Brown. I want to block for Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase. I could go on and on and on with a list of guys in this locker room, of why I want to be here, the fit, how I play, how I think I can help this team win, the continuity that I had with this offensive line, and how we continue to build all year. Yeah, this is exactly where I want to be. But at the same time, I said it earlier this week, and I said it last week, because I feel like it's got to be a mutual thing, where we come together and do it so I know where I stand, and I hope that we can get the Bengals to want the same thing."

It's hard to think of why the team wouldn't want the rising veteran to return after he just played on a near-league minimum deal this past season.

Signing him would mean all five starting offensive linemen are under contract for the 2026 season.

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