The Cincinnati Bengals made sure to lock up their reserve/future contracts and no fewer than six one-year contract extensions for certain players on Monday, less than 24 hours after their season-ending loss to the Browns.
It was a nice bit of proactive behavior from the front office, coming on the heels of superstar quarterback Joe Burrow emphasizing how important this offseason is in Cincinnati.
Will that proactive approach last? I doubt it, but hey, let's celebrate the little things and rattle off who's staying in Bengals stripes for 2026 as of now.
Bengals sign CB Bralyn Lux among others to reserve/future contracts, plus 6 others to 1-year contract extensions
Here are the 13 practice squad players who the Bengals announced as initial reserve/future contract signees, highlighted by a preseason "my guy" in nickel cornerback Bralyn Lux:
- LB Liam Anderson
- C Jacob Bayer
- RB Gary Brightwell
- QB Sean Clifford
- OT Andrew Coker
- DT Howard Cross III
- OT Javon Foster
- WR Xavier Johnson
- CB Jalen Kimber
- CB Bralyn Lux
- WR Jordan Moore
- EDGE Antwaun Powell-Ryland
- S Russ Yeast
The undrafted rookie free agent out of Texas Tech is easily the guy I'm most jazzed about entering 2026. Then again, Lux could become irrelevant if the Bengals re-sign Jalen Davis and draft a flex safety/nickel type like Ohio State's Caleb Downs in the first round.
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Among the other intriguing names on that list are offensive tackle Javon Foster, edge defender Antwaun Powell-Ryland and defensive tackle Howard Cross III. The latter has some promise as an interior pass rusher, so it'd be nice to see him keep developing under Al Golden's tutelage. They were together at Notre Dame when Cross was a collegian.
As for Powell-Ryland, he racked up 33.5 tackles for loss and 25.5 sacks in two seasons at Virginia Tech. Quite the elite production profile and the antithesis to Cincinnati's 2025 first-round pick Shemar Stewart. Maybe there's a spot for APR as a DPR (designated pass rusher) in the future.
Finally, Foster was a multi-year starter at Mizzou a couple years back who's done well enough to hang around in the NFL. He was a Jaguars fourth-round pick in 2024. Could be a swing tackle candidate.
DE Isaiah Foskey headlines Bengals' contract extensions
OK but without further ado, let's dive into the six players who got outright one-year deals:
- EDGE Isaiah Foskey
- LB Joe Giles-Harris
- TE Cam Grandy
- LB Shaka Heyward
- S PJ Jules
- WR Mitchell Tinsley
No major surprises there. Tinsley had some nice flashes in the regular season with a couple TD catches among his eight receptions. Still, there's a need for a legit WR3 on this roster.
The linebackers provide nice depth and special teams help. Cam Grandy does the same on those fronts for the tight end room. PJ Jules could be a future contributor at safety, especially if free agent Geno Stone doesn't return.
Easily the most intriguing name of that lot is Isaiah Foskey. A past second-round pick in New Orleans, Foskey is another ex-Notre Dame guy who's reunited with Golden in a Bengals uniform.
Foskey played sparingly once he landed in the Queen City, yet I'm intrigued by his upside. He had a 14.3% pressure rate on 21 pass rush reps in Weeks 16 and 17. Let him see the field more and see what happens!