The bozos that be amongst the Cincinnati Bengals brass really couldn't get a Dalton Risner extension done before March. It was among the most obvious re-signings in franchise history.
Do Duke Tobin and Co. have, like, a lockdown, foolproof panic room they just shut themselves in, blissfully oblivious to the outside world? Because man, do these people love to take their time, drag things out to the max, and cause drama over such trivial amounts of money.
Not trivial amounts of money for us plebs, mind you, but trivial in the grander scheme of an NFL salary cap. But hey, credit where it's due (I guess).
Dalton Risner solidifies critical continuity on Bengals' offensive line for Joe Burrow
Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic broke the news on Risner's return to Cincinnati, which was admittedly a relief. Bengals fans across the globe are thrilled about it.
This marks the first time the #Bengals have returned all the predominant starting five offensive linemen since Zac Taylor -- and more importantly, Joe Burrow -- arrived in Cincinnati.
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) March 2, 2026
........................But. And.
What took so long? ICYMI (you probably did), I wrote at length not long ago about how much more "all-in" the Los Angles Rams are on an annual basis, as opposed to the Bengals' far more, *ahem* conservative-to-put-it-kindly approach.
For instance, regarding this Risner news. The Rams didn't want safety Quentin Lake to hit the open market this offseason. Guess when he signed his three-year extension? It was announced on New Year's Day!!
As the kids say, "LET THAT SINK IN!"
Not only does Cincinnati have one of the worst organizations in the league across the board, according to the players who are actually in the building on a daily basis. This operation goes out of its way to insult the fans' collective intelligence, and refuses to pull out any and every stop to lift a Lombardi Trophy for the first time ever.
It's one thing if you're poorly run behind the scenes. If you did everything else in pursuit of winning, so be it. The Bengals don't. Anyone with any capacity to have the slightest whiff of an original critical thought can tell you that.
And that brings us to Dalton Risner. Again, it couldn't be more of a no-brainer to bring him back. So why wait until a week before free agency tampering starts?
Do y'all really think the Bengals gamed out every scenario? Because Risner staying put changes the math on what they can do in free agency and the draft. Now, Cincinnati is scrambling at the 11th hour to figure out what the best path forward is to build out this roster. And it's because they dragged their feet so long on Risner.
So that's great, ain't it? And if this all sounds a little familiar, that's because it is.
Remember how Risner was only acquired in the first place in late August, had to learn the playbook on the fly, and was part of a pass protection breakdown that caused Joe Burrow's turf toe injury. Risner more than redeemed himself thereafter, but the point is, the Bengals' reflexive, reactive approach to roster-building continues to be a thorn in their side even Burrow's best efforts haven't been able to overcome, to the tune of two major injuries and three straight seasons with no playoff football.
Giving the Bengals mad props for re-signing Dalton Risner is akin to giving a dog a treat for doing its business outside. Only in this case, the dogs are the humans running the Bengals, and that's obviously absurd. I just know it won't stop many, many blinded diehards from, once again, not holding this organization to a bar higher than the NFL equivalent of impoverishment.