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Cincinnati Bengals Defensive End Misses Out on Big Money Incentive Due to Injury

The Bengals play the Browns in the season finale on Sunday.
James Rapien|
Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai (58) walks for the locker room with trainers in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 14 game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. The Bills overcame a halftime deficit to win 39-34.
Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai (58) walks for the locker room with trainers in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 14 game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. The Bills overcame a halftime deficit to win 39-34. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Cincinnati Bengals

CINCINNATI — Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai is officially inactive for Sunday's season finale against the Browns.

Ossai's 2025 season ends with 43 tackles (nine for loss) and five sacks. He finished one sack short of reaching a $250,000 incentive in his contract. The Bengals would pay him a $250,000 bonus if he had six sacks this season.

Ossai has missed the past three games with an ankle injury. He's set to become a free agent in March and is considered one of the top veteran defensive ends that could be available.

Jake Browning is also inactive on Sunday, but will serve as the Bengals' emergency third quarterback.

Charlie Jones (ankle), Josh Newton (hamstring), Daijahn Anthony, Cam Grandy and Jordan Jefferson are also out.

The Bengals are hoping to end the season on a three-game winning streak. Cincinnati is 6-10 on the year. A win over Cleveland on Sunday would get them to 7-10 on the season—their worst record since 2020. They'd also improve to 4-2 in the AFC North and sweep the Browns for a second-straight season.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is confident the team is focused on ending the year on a positive note.

"I haven't found that at all," Taylor said when asked about possible lack of focus. "It's been great energy from our guys. It's helpful that we've won the last two, I think to keep the energy up at this point of the year, but everybody has been great."

The Bengals will try to get to 7-10 on Sunday. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. ET.

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James Rapien
JAMES RAPIEN

James Rapien is the publisher of Bengals OnSI. He's also the host of the Locked on Bengals podcast and Cincinnati Bengals Talk on YouTube. The Cincinnati native also wrote a book about the history of the Cincinnati Bengals called Enter The Jungle. Prior to joining Bengals On SI, Rapien worked at 700 WLW and ESPN 1530 in Cincinnati

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