Bengals Acquire Joe Flacco From Browns
The Bengals have indeed changed their tune on a quarterback trade. They will make an intra-AFC North swap, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reporting the team is set to acquire Joe Flacco from the Browns. The deal is now official pending a physical.
Cleveland will acquire a fifth-round pick from Cincinnati, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who adds this pick-swap exchange will involve a sixth going back to the Bengals. The sixth going to Cincy is originally a Detroit selection from the November 2024 Za’Darius Smith trade. The picks are in the 2026 draft, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
After Zac Taylor indicated Jake Browning‘s starting job was in jeopardy, the Bengals will acquire a QB — just not one previously mentioned could be in play. As should be expected, the Bengals (per Schefter) want Flacco to be ready for their Week 6 game against the Packers.
[RELATED: Flacco Did Not Request Trade From Browns]
Rather than a bigger swing for Russell Wilson or Kirk Cousins, the Bengals — already rostering a $55MM-per-year contract via the September 2023 Joe Burrow extension — will take on Flacco’s one-year, $4.25MM deal. Only $1.26MM of that is tied up in base salary, meaning the Bengals will only be on the hook for around $1MM in additional salary. The Browns will take on $999K in 2025 dead money and, due to void years on Flacco’s deal, $1.4MM in 2026, per Spotrac.
This marks the third time Flacco has been traded. The Broncos obtained the former Super Bowl MVP from the Ravens in 2019, and the Jets reacquired him from the Eagles in 2021. No calls went to the Giants on Wilson or Jameis Winston, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. As of Sunday morning, no calls were believed to have gone out. A rough Browning showing against the Lions looks to have changed the team’s stance. While New York retains its Wilson-Winston-Jaxson Dart quarterback room, Cleveland has dealt into its previous four-man competition once again.
This will be Flacco’s seventh NFL destination, and he is now a Steelers stop from completing the AFC North cycle. The Browns benched the 40-year-old passer ahead of their Week 5 London trip, going with Dillon Gabriel. Cleveland’s QB depth chart — which once housed both Flacco and Kenny Pickett — has changed significantly over the past several weeks. Cleveland sent Pickett to Las Vegas just before the season. This marks the team’s third QB trade (for a veteran), as it also acquired Pickett from Philadelphia in March, this year.
Receiving poor play from Browning — after he had proved surprisingly effective in 2023 — the Bengals had been calling teams on QBs for the past 48 hours, Rapoport adds. This is just the third in-season player acquisition via trade since 1973 for the Bengals, who obtained offensive lineman B.J. Finney in 2020 and running back Khalil Herbert last season. It is a last-ditch move aimed at salvaging a season that has skidded well off track following Burrow’s toe injury.
This marks the first time the Bengals have obtained a player from a division rival in a trade since they landed Hall of Fame wide receiver Charlie Joiner and linebacker Ron Pritchard for running backs Paul Robinson and Fred Willis from the then-AFC Central rival Oilers, SI.com’s Jay Morrison notes. This marks just the third time this century division rivals have swapped veteran QBs. Although this has happened before the 21st century, the 2002 Drew Bledsoe and 2010 Donovan McNabb swaps (h/t ESPN’s Evan Kaplan) mark the only such instances since 2000.
This move also comes eight years after the Bengals and Browns nearly made a trade involving Cincinnati backup QB A.J. McCarron. The Browns had been close to acquiring McCarron, but the deal was not finalized in time. The teams will link up on this Flacco swap nearly a month before this year’s trade deadline.
The Browns and Bengals faced off in Week 1, with Flacco facing Burrow. By the sides’ Week 18 rematch, Cincy hopes to have Burrow back at the controls. After losing three straight blowouts, the Bengals looked closer to eventually determining Burrow would need to be shelved for the season’s remainder. Now, they will hope Flacco can elevate their offense in hopes of revitalizing contention hopes in what could be Trey Hendrickson‘s final season in Cincinnati.
In Week 1, the Bengals edged a Flacco-quarterbacked Browns team 17-16. Cleveland doubled up Cincinnati in first downs (22-11), and Flacco completed 31 of 45 passes for 290 yards. He threw a touchdown pass and two interceptions, but both picks came on drops by Browns receivers. Flacco, though, has been unable to curb his INT trend, leading to the Gabriel promotion. The 18th-year veteran threw four more INTs from Weeks 2-4, completing just 58.1% of his passes at an anemic 5.1 yards per attempt. Flacco’s weaponry situation will improve significantly, however, following this trade.
Although Flacco is not exactly the most stable option, his 2023 Cleveland cameo shows the upgrade Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins could see. The Browns added Flacco on a practice squad deal that year, giving him five starts following Deshaun Watson‘s season-ending injury. Flacco led a team missing Nick Chubb and both starting tackles to the playoffs, going 4-1 as a starter and winning Comeback Player of the Year acclaim.
The Browns flamed out in the wild-card round and did not make Flacco an offer to stay, making a final bid to build around Watson in 2024. Flacco ended up in Indianapolis as Anthony Richardson insurance, but after the Colts signed Daniel Jones this offseason, he returned to Cleveland as the elder statesman in an otherwise young QB room.
Making 195 career starts, the former 11-year Ravens QB1 prevailed in the Browns’ four-man quarterback competition this summer. It did not turn out to be very close, as a Pickett hamstring injury removed him from the running. Pickett is now backing up Geno Smith in Las Vegas. With the Browns undoubtedly eyeing a 2026 draft move for a longer-term replacement, Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders‘ presences notwithstanding, the team being unconcerned with dealing a passer to help a division rival makes sense. Sanders, despite his strange mime routine following the news Flacco would be Cleveland’s QB2 following the Gabriel elevation, should also be expected to rise from QB3 to QB2 on Cleveland’s depth chart.
Browning will be set to slide down Cincinnati’s. After replacing an injured Burrow more effectively in 2023, Browning proved woeful — save for some garbage-time work against the Lions — in his second Cincy starter stint. He threw eight interceptions in four games, including three against Detroit in Week 5.
The Bengals lost by a combined 113-37 against the Vikings, Broncos and Lions. Taylor had gone from offering Browning support ahead of Week 5 to walking it back following the home loss to the Lions. The 2-3 team is throwing a Hail Mary of sorts in Flacco, but the operation was careening off the rails with Browning running the show.
Flacco went 2-4 as a Colts starter last season, and while he posted a 12:7 TD-INT ratio, his form did not closely rival the 2023 Cleveland work. The Bengals also have experienced O-line issues for years. Going into Week 5, Pro Football Focus ranked Cincinnati’s O-line last in the NFL. The stationary QB could struggle behind that quintet, even though he operated well without then-Browns starting tackles Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin late in the ’23 season.
This will be a wildly interesting experiment for the Bengals, who paid up to extend both Chase and Higgins this offseason. Browning’s form had reduced the marquee receivers’ value; the team will hope Flacco can restore it while Burrow rehabs. A mid-December return is viewed as the goal for Burrow. Flacco helping at least restore offensive competency would stand to keep that hope in play.
Joe Flacco Did Not Request Trade From Browns
Quarterback Joe Flacco‘s second stint in Cleveland ended when the Browns surprisingly traded him to AFC North rival Cincinnati on Tuesday. Flacco did not request a trade, but he did welcome the move and a chance at more playing time, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.
After spending last season with the Colts, Flacco rejoined the Browns on a one-year contract last April. That came after the Browns acquired fellow veteran signal-caller Kenny Pickett in a trade with the Eagles. Continuing a makeover of their QB room, the Browns went on to select Dillon Gabriel in the third round and Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round of the draft.
With Gabriel and Sanders around as developmental prospects, Flacco and Pickett entered training camp as the front-runners to earn the starting job. Flacco ultimately won the role with ease after Pickett suffered a hamstring injury early in the summer. The Browns wound up trading Pickett to the Raiders in late August, leaving Flacco as the veteran mentor to the two rookies.
At 40 years old, Flacco was never expected to be anything more than a Band-Aid for the Browns. The team pulled the plug on Flacco earlier than expected, though, after he threw two touchdowns against six interceptions during a 1-3 start. Gabriel took over as the starter before last Sunday’s 21-17 loss to the Vikings.
The left-handed Gabriel went without a turnover in his debut and completed 19 of 33 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns. It may be a long shot, but he’ll have a chance to establish himself as the Browns’ long-term starter. Either Sanders or practice squad QB Bailey Zappe could back up Gabriel against the Steelers on Sunday.
Flacco is again in a stopgap role in Cincinnati, but he is joining a talented offense that includes a few high-end weapons, including wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. He could start as early as this week against Green Bay in place of Jake Browning, whose poor performance filling in for the injured Joe Burrow necessitated a QB trade. The 2-3 Bengals suffered three straight ugly losses under Browning, who has matched Flacco’s INT total (eight, with six TDs) this season. Flacco led the Browns to their only 2025 victory — over the Packers — in Week 3.
Thanks to Browning’s immense struggles, the Bengals discussed “several” different signal-callers over the past 48 hours, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. The Bengals ended up swinging a deal with their in-state rivals for Flacco, who they hope will play well enough to keep them alive in the AFC North race.
Bengals Cut Brett Rypien, Mike White
After adding Joe Flacco to their quarterback room on Tuesday, the Bengals are moving on from a couple of other signal-callers. The team has cut Brett Rypien (via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network) and Mike White. To take White’s place on their practice squad, the Bengals signed defensive tackle Howard Cross III.
With injured starter Joe Burrow out for the foreseeable future, the Bengals will go forth with Flacco and Jake Browning as their options under center. They also have Sean Clifford on their practice squad. Flacco, acquired from the division-rival Browns, could make his Bengals debut as early as this Sunday against the Packers.
The 29-year-old Rypien signed with the Bengals after the Vikings released him late in the summer. He saw regular-season action with the Broncos and Rams earlier in his career and has gone 98 for 168 for 950 yards, four touchdowns, and nine interceptions in 11 games.
White, who spent most of last year on Buffalo’s practice squad, became a Bengal in mid-September after failing to beat out Mitchell Trubisky for the Bills’ No. 2 QB job during the summer. The short-lived Jets starter and ex-Dolphins backup has completed 199 of 324 attempts with nine TDs and 13 picks in 15 contests.
Cross, an undrafted free agent from Notre Dame, made his lone NFL appearance in Cincinnati’s loss to Minnesota in Week 3. He played nine defensive snaps and made one tackle in that game. The Bengals waived him last week, but they’re reuniting just a few days later.
Bengals HC Zac Taylor To Retain Play-Calling Duties
The Bengals’ offense has drawn heavy scrutiny since quarterback Joe Burrow‘s injury. Things have not gone according to plan with Jake Browning under center, and a change could be coming soon.
During each of the three games Browning has started, Cincinnati has scored only three points through the first three quarters. The team managed to score a trio of touchdowns late in Week 5, but on the whole significant improvement is needed moving forward. Efforts on that front will include head coach Zac Taylor continuing in his role as play-caller.
“I feel very comfortable,” Taylor said (via ESPN’s Ben Baby). “It’s a fair question. We score three points in three games in the first half. I totally understand that. But right now, it’s going to remain the same.”
Taylor arrived as head coach in 2019. The 42-year-old called plays on offense throughout that span despite a limited track record of doing so at the NFL and college levels. Coming off his time with the Dolphins (which included an interim offensive coordinator gig) and Rams (making him one of several Sean McVay assistants who have gone on to prominent offensive roles), though, it came as little surprise when Taylor took charge of the offense in Cincinnati. That unit has generally thrived when Burrow has been healthy, something which could be the case late this season after he recovers from toe surgery.
In the meantime, however, the Bengals’ playoff chances depend on steps forward being taken on both sides of the ball. The team sits near the bottom of the league in both points and yards allowed on defense, while finding offensive production has also proven to be a challenge. Cincinnati is averaging just 17 points and 246 yards per game, figures which will of course need to improve if an end to the team’s losing streak is to take place.
Efforts to make that possible could have included a change in play-calling responsibilities, something which Taylor’s former OC Brian Callahan recently moved forward with in Tennessee. In the case of the Bengals, however, the status quo will remain in place on the sidelines.
Bengals Open To QB Change?
Ahead of yesterday’s game, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor expressed confidence in Jake Browning‘s ability to handle quarterback duties in place of Joe Burrow. After another poor outing, though, things could change soon. 
Browning wound up throwing for 251 yards and three touchdowns during Sunday’s loss to the Lions. However, much of that production (and all three scores) came during the fourth quarter with Cincinnati trailing by a large margin. Browning’s early showing included three interceptions, and after the game Taylor seemed to leave the door open to a change under center.
“After a game like that, we’re going to look at all personnel to make sure we’re doing the right thing,” Taylor said (via ESPN’s Ben Baby). “I won’t shy away from that because it’s a very fair question after the amount of turnovers that we had.”
Browning has thrown eight interceptions on just 124 pass attempts since taking over from an injured Burrow. Ending Cincinnati’s three-game losing streak will require an improved showing in terms of avoiding turnovers, something which could be brought about by a switch at the quarterback spot. Brett Rypien is currently second on the depth chart, while in-season signings Mike White and Sean Clifford reside on the practice squad.
To date, the Bengals have yet to make inquiries about a trade aimed at shoring up the QB position. As long as Burrow remains on track to return at some point late in the year following toe surgery, Cincinnati could continue looking internally. That approach could still see Browning handling QB1 duties – Taylor added in his post-game press conference he remains confident in the 29-year-old – but it will be interesting to see what changes are made on offense over the next few days.
Regardless of what happens under center, improving on defense will be critical if the Bengals are to contend for a postseason berth. The team ranks 30th in points and yards allowed and sits at 2-3 on the year. Defense was a major issue last season and that has remained the case early in 2025. Taylor and his staff will have a number of important decisions to make before visiting the Packers in Week 6.
Bengals Have Not Made Trade Inquiries On QBs, Intend To Keep Jake Browning As Starter
The Bengals did not seek a trade for a veteran QB following Joe Burrow’s toe injury – which will keep Burrow sidelined until sometime in December – and we recently heard there is leaguewide skepticism that the club will change its modus operandi in terms of in-season trade activity (Cincy has only acquired two players via in-season trade over the past 53 years). The latest reporting on the matter suggests that skepticism is well-founded.
Multiple sources tell Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports they would be surprised if there are any quarterback trades at all in advance of the November 4 deadline, given the complexity of the QB position and all that it entails. An assistant GM told Vacchiano the only team he believes would even consider such a move is the Bengals, considering Jake Browning’s pronounced struggles in relief of Burrow.
Although Browning was able to guide his team to a win in Week 2 (the game in which Burrow sustained his injury), he did throw three picks in that contest. In his two starts since, he has completed a combined 33 of 52 passes for 265 yards for one touchdown and two more interceptions. The Bengals lost both games by a combined score of 76-13, and they did not cross midfield during the final three quarters of their loss to the Broncos in Week 4.
Nonetheless, Vacchiano says there is still no indication Cincinnati has looked into a quarterback trade. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears the same, and he writes that the club’s past success with Browning at the helm – Browning posted a 4-3 record when filling in for Burrow in 2023 – has them prepared to move forward with the Washington product for the foreseeable future.
In a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network (video link) says Falcons QB Kirk Cousins could probably adjust quickly to the Bengals’ offense due to his familiarity with head coach Zac Taylor’s type of scheme, but Cousins’ contract – which already includes a locked-in $10MM in 2026 – remains prohibitive. Recently-demoted Giants QB Russell Wilson could make sense from a cost perspective, but like Cousins, there has been no outside interest in Wilson as of yet, from the Bengals or any other club.
If Cincy sticks to their Browning plan, and if Browning does not improve, the 2-2 team could soon be 2-5 (the Bengals’ next three games are against the Lions, Packers, and Steelers). And, if that should happen, Pelissero logically predicts that rival teams will consider the Bengals deadline sellers and will begin calling about their logical trade candidates (which likely would include DE Trey Hendrickson).
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/3/25
Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Claimed off waivers (from 49ers): DT Jordan Jefferson
- Waived: DT Howard Cross III
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed from practice squad: WR Alex Bachman
- Placed on IR: OLB Brennan Jackson
The Bengals are the second team to claim Jefferson this year. A 2024 fourth-round pick out of LSU, Jefferson couldn’t make it to Year 2 in Jacksonville and was waived in final roster cuts. Cincinnati tried to claim him then, badly needing improved depth on their defensive line at the time, but San Francisco had higher priority. When the Niners waiving him yesterday, the Bengals got a second chance to claim him.
Jackson is dealing with a foot injury that will take at least four weeks to come back from, making him an easy candidate for injured reserve.
Bengals Express Confidence In Jake Browning; Team Unlikely To Make QB Trade?
One of the worst Bengals two-game stretches in years came between Weeks 3 and 4 this season, when Zac Taylor‘s team was outscored 76-13 in losses to the Vikings and Broncos. Although Cincinnati won its Week 2 game after Joe Burrow‘s injury, they have not remotely kept pace since.
The Bengals did not cross midfield during the final three quarters Monday night in Denver. After submitting surprisingly productive work in relief of Burrow down the stretch in 2023, Jake Browning has struggled. The veteran backup is on a two-year, $1.95MM deal. While that contract would support the Bengals pursuing a veteran as a potential upgrade, Burrow’s $55MM-per-year extension brings a complication for a franchise not known for in-season trade pickups.
Cincinnati has only acquired two players — offensive lineman B.J. Finney and running back Khalil Herbert — in-season via trade over the past 53 years. Many around the league are indeed skeptical the team would change its stripes for a quarterback, the Washington Post’s Mark Maske notes.
Doubt about Cincy going after a QB is generally based on the organization’s M.O. Despite the payments going to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins this offseason, the team again took criticism for thriftiness during the Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart standoffs. Although it would stand to reason Russell Wilson or Kirk Cousins would be an upgrade on Browning, Taylor reaffirmed his confidence in his backup following the 28-3 Broncos loss. Taylor said he has “a ton” of confidence in Browning and is unwavering in his faith in Burrow’s multiyear backup.
If Browning continues to produce duds, it would stand to reason the Bengals consider upgrading. They did not show such interest following Burrow’s injury, however. Browning’s knowledge of Taylor’s system works in his favor, but the team will need to show immediate progress if it is to salvage the season and make a late-season Burrow return from toe surgery worthwhile. Burrow has been mentioned as a candidate to come back potentially in December, but if the Bengals continue to play like they did in Minnesota and Denver, a reemergence would not make much sense.
Wilson is on just a $2MM base salary, meaning the Bengals would only be responsible for a prorated amount. The Giants gave the since-benched passer an $8MM signing bonus, covering the bulk of his $10.5MM deal. New York having gone to Jaxson Dart makes Wilson an obvious trade candidate, with Jameis Winston signed through 2026 as a backup option. The team going to Dart makes one of the veterans redundant, and Wilson has indeed circulated as a trade chip. Given the investments the Bengals have made in Chase and Higgins — to go with Hendrickson being given a contract-year raise but not an extension — it would make sense if they pursued Wilson due to his experience and low base salary.
Cousins would seemingly be a nonstarter, as the Falcons are still holding onto the NFL’s most expensive (by far) backup. Atlanta has not displayed a willingness to pay down much (if any) of Cousins’ salary ($27.5MM), continuing a refrain from the offseason.
Cousins looked for a way out in March and April, but nothing materialized. It had long been assumed a high-profile injury would be necessary for Cousins to escape Atlanta, but unless the Falcons agree to pay down almost all of his base pay, it would be hard to see the Bengals eyeing him as a Burrow emergency replacement.
For in-house options, the Bengals have Brett Rypien as their active-roster backup and Mike White and Sean Clifford stashed on the practice squad. None of the other arms is close to matching Browning’s experience under Taylor, with each being acquired late in the summer (Rypien) or following Burrow’s injury (Clifford, White). For now, the team will continue to hope Browning can improve. The team faces the Lions, Packers, Steelers, Jets and Bears before its bye week.
Bengals Make RG Switch
SEPTEMBER 29: Cincinnati did opt to make a switch at right guard, starting Rivers in place of Risner for their Monday night matchup with the Broncos.
SEPTEMBER 26: The Bengals are considering a change at right guard for Week 4 after veteran Dalton Risner‘s struggles in the last two weeks.
Lucas Patrick won the starting job out of training camp, but landed on injured reserve after Week 1 with a calf injury. He will be eligible to return in Week 6.
The Bengals were originally planning to start Risner until then, but he injured his calf in Week 3 with rookie Jalen Rivers finishing the game.
Though Risner appears to be healthy this week – he was a full participant in practice on Thursday – head coach Zac Taylor indicated (via Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer) that the team was considering starting Rivers in Week 4. Risner has not played well this year; his 42.4 grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) is the ninth-worst among guards with at least 125 snaps this year.
Rivers only received a 50.7 grade from PFF in Week 3, but practicing with the first-team could improve his chemistry and confidence for Week 4.
“This week, I’m getting some reps with the 1s,” said Rivers, per Conway. “Getting the cadence down. Being next to the guys, [center Ted Karras] and [right tackle Amarius Mims], just gelling with them. If I am in on Monday…it’s good to gel with the guys. Monday Night Football, everyone is watching, they are going to trust me, I’m going to make the most of my opportunity.”
Starting Rivers would introduce a second rookie into the Bengals’ starting OL. Third-round pick Dylan Fairchild has started all three games at LG, with somewhat disappointing results. His 52.3 PFF grade ranks among the bottom-20 guards (min. 125 snaps).
There is certainly some risk with starting a pair of rookie offensive linemen, though they won’t be responsible for protecting franchise quarterback Joe Burrow. Rivers and Fairchild would instead be playing in front of backup Jake Browning, who has struggled under pressure since taking over the starting job. It’s not that the Bengals don’t care about Browning’s health, but they might be willing to roll the dice with him under cetner rather than Burrow.
The Bengals have struggled to develop their drafted offensive linemen over the last few years, but starting Rivers could help his long-term progression. He would get starting reps against starting-caliber competition, which could be a baptism by fire that helps him in the long run.
Contract Details: T. Smith, Z. Smith, 49ers
Here are the latest details from recently agreed-upon contracts:
- Tyler Smith, G (Cowboys). Four years, $96MM. Receiving $41.66MM guaranteed at signing, the NFL’s highest-paid guard secured a rolling guarantee structure. Smith’s 2025 and ’26 base salaries are locked in at signing. A $12MM portion of his 2027 compensation becomes fully guaranteed on Day 5 of the 2026 league year, per Spotrac. A $19MM chunk of Smith’s 2028 compensation shifts from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2027 league year. On Day 5 of the ’28 league year, Smith stands to see $6.6MM of his ’29 compensation lock in. The Cowboys would owe Smith a $21MM option bonus by Week 1 of the 2029 season; a $20MM option bonus would be due by Week 1 of the 2030 slate. Four void years are in this contract.
- Colton McKivitz, RT (49ers). Three years, $45MM. Of McKivitz’s $27MM guaranteed, $18.71MM is guaranteed at signing (per OverTheCap). McKivitz’s money is guaranteed in 2025 and ’26, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who notes an early guarantee date exists in this contract as well. McKivitz’s $12.67MM 2027 option bonus features an $8.29MM injury guarantee; $6.29MM of the latter number vests on April 1, 2026, giving the veteran tackle some early security. Another $2MM of that bonus becomes guaranteed on April 1, 2027. McKivitz’s 2028 compensation is nonguaranteed. Because of the option bonuses and four void years, the deal does not bring a $10MM cap number until 2028.
- Za’Darius Smith, OLB (Eagles). One year, $4.25MM. Initially reported as being worth up to $9MM, Smith’s Philadelphia contract carries $4.25MM in base value, per Florio. There are $2MM in sack-based incentives included, and a $500K Pro Bowl bonus is part of the package as well. The “up to” report also brought a minor inflation, with Florio adding Smith maxing out incentives would bring the value to $8.25MM.
- Dalton Risner, G (Bengals). One year, $1.34MM. This value (reported by OverTheCap) is barely above the veteran minimum, but with Risner on the Bengals’ Week 1 roster, it is fully guaranteed (rather than just the $168K guarantee-at-signing figure). This is another pay cut for Risner, who earned $2.78MM in 2023 and $2.41MM last season.