Bengals Re-sign Dalton Risner, Securing Offensive Line Continuity with One-Year Deal
Dalton Risner is returning to the Bengals on a one-year contract worth up to $5 million, a move that locks in the club's starting five up front and keeps a proven right guard in place for the coming season. The signing ends any uncertainty about Risner's status heading into free agency and preserves a unit that showed marked improvement late in the prior campaign.
Dalton Risner returning locks in the same starting five
Risner’s return completes a key offseason objective: maintaining continuity along the offensive line. With this deal, the team will go into the next season with the same five starters who finished the previous year together. That continuity follows a stretch in which the line posted strong team-level metrics over the final nine weeks of the season—ranking second in pressure rate allowed, sixth in sack percentage and fourth in rushing success percentage during that span.
Role, performance and team response to Risner’s re-signing
Risner, 30, originally signed late in the previous season and became an immediate contributor when the regular right guard was sidelined by injury. He played in 14 games last season and made 11 starts at right guard, stabilizing the spot and ranking first among the offensive line in pass block grade while allowing two sacks and four quarterback hits. That combination of availability and performance made him a clear target to bring back.
The re-signing was announced publicly by his wife on social media, and Risner made an in-person appearance at the team's stadium with his wife to formalize the new deal. The club completed the move before the spike of free agency activity, signaling a priority on holding the group together rather than waiting for open-market options.
What the one-year deal means for the offseason blueprint
The structure of the one-year agreement, reported as worth up to $5 million, suggests a short-term commitment designed to preserve roster stability while leaving roster flexibility for the broader offseason. For Risner, it represents another season in a place where he quickly fit into the locker room and the scheme; teammates and coaches had been vocal about the value he added on and off the field.
Maintaining the same five starters provides a clear baseline for staff to build from in the offseason, reducing the number of variables to address in training camp and the preseason. That continuity should benefit both pass protection plans and run-game cohesion as the group looks to build on the late-season defensive pressure and rushing metrics the unit achieved.
