The Cincinnati Bengals' 2024 season will ultimately be remembered as a disappointment. Despite finishing the campaign with a winning record of 9-8, the Bengals fell short of postseason play for the second consecutive season and wasted an all-time season from star quarterback Joe Burrow in the process.
The team will now have to make a plethora of important roster decisions over the offseason, including which players to part ways with. Some calls will be easier than others. For example, it's safe to say that Burrow isn't going anywhere. But, some players have already played their last down as a member of the Bengals. Here's a look at five players who probably won't be back in Cincinnati next season.
Sheldon Rankins, Defensive tackle
Sheldon Rankins' first season in Cincinnati will likely be his last. The Bengals signed Rankins to a two-year, $24.5 million deal in free agency last offseason with the hope that he would help to bolster the defensive line, but his 2024 campaign was extremely underwhelming.
Availability was the main issue for Rankins in 2024, as he missed more games than he played in. Rankins was sidelined for three games earlier in the season with a hamstring injury, and then he missed the final seven games of the campaign with an illness. He was ultimately placed on the on the Reserve/Non-Football Illness list. For those keeping count, that's 10 games missed compared to just seven games played.
When Rankins, 30, was out on the field, he wasn't particularly productive, as he recorded just 10 total tackles and one sack during the season. Giving his lack of production and availability, it seems likely that the Bengals will part ways with over the offseason. Doing so would save Cincinnati $9.5 million against the cap, while counting as just $2 million in dead money, per Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic.
Offseason additions don't always work out, and unfortunately that was the case for Rankins in Cincinnati.