Teair Tart and the Cincinnati Bengals looked like an ideal free agency match, but it never came to fruition.
Tart came to Cincinnati for a visit during the opening week of free agency, and left town without signing a contract.
Based on the contract that he recently signed with the Miami Dolphins, it's clear that the Bengals never had much interest in his services after meeting with him.
Tart agreed to terms on a one-year deal that will pay him the veteran minimum for his number of accrued seasons in the NFL. His deal also qualifies as a veteran salary benefit deal, which means his cap hit will be even smaller than then amount of cash he'll take home at the end of the season.
If all it took to sign Tart, a clear fit on paper for what the Bengals needed at defensive tackle, then the Bengals must've really not been on the same page with Tart.
Tart may've looked the part as a fit for the Bengals, but he's got some baggage attached to him. His time with the Tennessee Titans were rumored to end badly following contract extension negotiations. The Titans ended up waiving him surprisingly towards the end of the 2023 season.
Cincinnati put in claim for Tart after losing DJ Reader for the rest of the season, but the Houston Texans were higher on the waiver order and ended up getting Tart to close out the season.
Tart was not prioritized by the Texans to return, and the Bengals re-entered the picture once his contract officially expired. Clearly, money wasn't the reason why both sides wouldn't agree to a deal.
The Bengals have prioritized character fits for the locker room during Zac Taylor's tenure as head coach, and with Tart's recent questionable history, a match between player and team must not have looked as good as it did on paper.
More must-reads: