NFL free agency: Busted ex-Seahawks tight end to join Joe Burrow and the Bengals

It didn't take long for former Seattle Seahawks tight end Noah Fant to find a new home in the NFL. According to a report by ESPN , Fant is expected to sign with the Cincinnati Bengals. Fant had also drawn interest from the New Orleans Saints and been linked with Russell Wilson and the Giants.

After playing the first three years of his career with the Denver Broncos, Fant came over to Seattle in 2021 as part of the blockbuster Russell Wilson trade. He had a decent first year with the Seahawks, posting 50 catches, 487 yards and four touchdowns.

Unfortunately for Fant, that was his high-point with Seattle. Over the next two seasons he continued to average between 450-500 yards, but he was no longer a scoring threat, managing just one touchdown catch from 2023-2024.

It would have been one thing if Fant had been on a rookie contract, but the Seahawks had given him one of the league's most-lucrative contracts for a tight end going into the 2023 campaign. That deal quickly soured and was arguably the worst value at the position over the last two seasons.

Obviously, Cincinnati will be signing him for far less than what Seattle was paying (roughly $10 million per year), but as yet details have not been reported for Fant's new contract with the Bengals.

It's far from certain, but Fant will have a good shot at making an impact for a playoff team in Cincinnati. Joe Burrow remains one of the game's top-five quarterbacks and the combo of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins is as good as it gets at wide receiver. There's not much meat left on the bone regarding Cincinnati's offensive skill group outside of those two, though.

The real problem is the Bengals' defense, which has cost them a lot of close games the last few years. If they can get that unit playing at a respectable level, they'll be as dangerous as any AFC team.

For now, Mike Gesicki is at the top of the Bengals' depth chart at tight end. We know Noah Fant has the athleticism and the ability to pass him - but for whatever reason he simply wasn't able to come close to his full potential the last couple of years with the Seahawks. Fant needs that to change in 2025, or this third stop in his pro career is likely to be his last.

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