Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah had the best season of his career in 2021, finishing with 49 receptions for 493 yards and five touchdowns.
The 29-year-old is also set to become a free agent for the first time in his NFL career.
It looked like Uzomah could be back with the Bengals on a team-friendly deal with other tight ends like Rob Gronkowski, Zach Ertz, Gerald Everett, Evan Engram and David Njoku also expected to hit free agency, but that might not be the case after Friday.
The Panthers agreed to sign Ian Thomas to a 3-year, $16.5 million contract with $8 million guaranteed according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Thomas had 18 receptions for 188 yards last season and has never had more than 36 catches in a season.
The fact that he got three years and significant guarantees could drive up the price of the tight end market. If Thomas is worth $5.5 million annually, then Uzomah should ask for $8-10 million per season.
Are the Bengals willing to go that high to keep him around? Will they let him test the market or make a run at a different free agent tight end?
The Thomas contract could change the market for Uzomah and the rest of the tight end group with free agency set to begin in just over two weeks.
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