4 Cincinnati Bengals starters who may play their last snaps in Cincinnati this season
Eight of the Cincinnati Bengals' 22 offensive and defensive starters from Week 1 of the 2024 NFL regular season are no longer on the team. To be honest, that number is higher than I would've initially guessed.
Cincinnati let a handful of them leave, cut a few more, and even watched one retirement from the game entirely. Roster turnover is inevitable, but oftentimes forecasting what it looks like months in advance proves to be incorrect. Sometimes, however, obvious names stand out for various reasons. Age is set to catch up with them, possible contract year breakouts, or pressure to fulfill expectations weighs more than they can carry.
It's for these reasons why 2025 could be the last year the following four Bengals players could be playing in Cincinnati.
1. C Ted Karras
Sometimes it's about age. Karras has been everything the club envisioned he'd be as its center and one of the true veteran leaders in the locker room. There's little reason to believe he'll be any different this year as he's also been a pillar of health during the back-half of his career.
Sometimes it's simply about projecting toward the future.
Karras is now 32 years old entering the last year of his contract, which got a one-year extension last year. The plan is to have one last quality season snapping for Joe Burrow, and the club will look at younger options such as Matt Lee, Seth McLaughlin, or someone else entirely in 2026.
Nothing's set in stone. Cincinnati could change its mind and re-sign Karras or even extend him during the season. Jason Kelce played until he was 36. A slightly younger Karras could give another year of quality play, but age is typically a firm factor in the front office's decision-making process. He'll need to make 2025 count.
2. EDGE Joseph Ossai
Speaking of making this year count, Ossai has much to prove this season. His re-signing with the Bengals on a one-year deal was far from a sure thing when the offseason began. The change in defensive coaching appeared to have the team and Ossai come back together for one more try.
Ossai should've played more last season. He should've played more the previous two seasons when he was healthy. There will be no excuse for him to not be out there this year. Even if he's not on the field for the first snap, he's on track to play starting-level snaps for the first time in his career as he looks to truly cash in next offseason. New defensive coordinator Al Golden's glowing praise of him from mandatory minicamp all but ensures that.
Cincinnati may have Trey Hendrickson locked in for a couple more years soon and will want to invest in the futures of Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart next year. Ossai will be left free to explore his options, meaning this year is likely his last with the team.
3. CB Cam Taylor-Britt
Taylor-Britt is not locked in as a starter quite yet, but if he regains his 2022-23 form, there aren't three better cornerbacks on the roster. It was his quick development during his first two years that created the conversation about a future extension last year. Getting benched twice during the 2024 season created a discussion much less bullish on his future.
There will not be an extension for Taylor-Britt this summer, but hopes are cautiously high for the former second-round pick to shine in his first contract year. Whether he stays with the team beyond this year may depend on it.
4. S Geno Stone
It wasn't a given for Stone to still be on the team right now. The free agent signing from last year struggled throughout his first year as the Bengals' free safety, and with Golden calling the shots, the possibility of Stone being cut and replaced was very real. The club settled on cutting Stone's pay instead and will give him another chance in a new-look scheme.
The leash will, or should, be short for Stone this year. Golden needs his defense to be competent immediately and can't afford one of the most important positions to fall behind the pack. Another substandard year will leave Stone looking a new team next year. Conversely, a massive rebound of a year may have him hitting free agency again at 26 years old with ample new suitors.
It's a significant year for the Bengals as a collective, and Stone will feel enough pressure on his own shoulders.
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