Panic rises over Bengals front office possibly missing biggest offseason layup

Even the most obsequious of Cincinnati Bengals front office supporters will be a touch unnerved if they read too much between the lines about the latest goings-on in Who Dey Land.

Among the should-be priorities of the offseason for Duke Tobin and the personnel department: Yes, drafting well. Yes, acquiring outside talent in free agency. But first and foremost, taking care of the people in the building.

One 11th-hour free agent from last year is the biggest no-brainer to retain before he hits the open market. It wouldn't cost an arm and a leg. And yet...

Bengals are playing with fire regarding one of their most vital free agents

Right guard Dalton Risner brought stability to a position that has literally not had it for the entirety of Joe Burrow's career. Risner is an excellent pass protector, a key part of why the run game progressed, and is an invaluable mentor to impressionable right tackle Amarius Mims.

So what's the hold-up on the Bengals not giving Risner a new contract? Cheapness? Uncertainty about how he fits in the grander scheme** of the offseason/roster jigsaw puzzle?

[**You know, assuming there is a grander scheme at play; not just some haphazard metaphorical (literal?) dart-throwing.]

Well guess what? We've got Whitney Risner, Dalton's wife, out here on social media posting about splitting time between two residences...neither of them being Cincinnati.

Won't bore you with a wall of text, but the key takeaway here is Whitney's response to the second post's question. It's about Risner playing for the (gulp) Kansas City Chiefs since KC is where the Risners are setting up their new home to be closer to friends and family and so on:

"I knew I would get this question! Dalton will be a free agent this March, so he could end up anywhere! But technically he is still a Bengal until March."

You see why there's panic in the streets, right? That doesn't sound like a confident confirmation that Dalton Risner will be in a Bengals uniform in 2026.

Look, when you're in an NFL family of any kind, you have to be prepared to move all the time. Whether you're talking about a talent evaluator, a coach, or a player, there's a lot of mobility and a transient, oft-nomadic existence that comes with the job description.

This doesn't seem that difficult. More coming soon on this, but contract restructures could free up close to $100 million in salary cap space for 2026 if Cincinnati is willing to go there. A new Risner contract would take up a mere fraction of that space.

But yeah I mean, the Bengals can be hardos about it. They can slow-play and low-ball Risner if they want to.

Just hope they know it'll become exceedingly rare by the season for players to talk like this:

Because if Cincinnati doesn't re-sign Risner, it sets an awful tone and precedent for the biggest offseason in franchise history.

Here's why I say it's the biggest offseason in franchise history. Imagine that the Bengals don't make the playoffs for a fourth straight year. What if Risner's departure tanks the offensive line? You don't think Joe Burrow is going to demand a trade in the event that happens?

I would say, "Let's give the Bengals the benefit of the doubt for now!" But no. History has proven how much of a fool's errand that notion is.

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