Even as the Cincinnati Bengals are locked in a contract dispute with star defensive end Trey Hendrickson, the front office has proven to be on the lookout for skill position players that can help Joe Burrow compete with the rest of the elite teams in the AFC.
The Seattle Seahawks made one such player available when they parted ways with tight end Noah Fant. Despite visiting teams that could offer him more targets, Fant appeared ready to join what Burrow and the rest of this team are building.
Fant is expected to sign a contract with the Bengals, immediately competing for ownership of the starting job. Fant's time with the Seahawks didn't end in the best way, and he is trying to land somewhere that can help him remind the NFL what a unique talent he is.
With Geno Smith standing out as by far the best quarterback Fant has had in his career, going from Smith to the mighty Joe Burrow should be enough to give his numbers a boost, even if the tight end has never been a particularly high-volume option in Zac Taylor's passing offense.
Tight end Noah Fant expected to sign with Bengals
After starting off his career fairly well with the Denver Broncos, Fant never topped 500 yards receiving in any of his three seasons with Seattle. Not only did Fant lose his starting job at the end of last season, but he found the end zone just once in the last two seasons combined.
Fant is still a solid blocker for his size, and he can still stretch the field when given the opportunity. Burrow is always going to get him the ball accurately and on time if he gets open, which means Cincinnati could be his final stop as a possible starting tight end.
Mike Gesicki had a solid year in 2024, but he is on the verge of turning 30 years old and offers so little as a blocker that he was essentially used as a big wide receiver last season. Drew Sample doesn't have the same receiving upside, and second-year Iowa product Erick All must not have made a great impression.
Fant still has enough gas left in the tank to establish himself as a very reliable weapon for Burrow. It will be worth watching how Taylor adjusts his offense to make sure both Fant and Gesicki have enough free reign to be productive pass-catchers alongside one another.