Bengals 2025 Roster Breakdown: Tanner Hudson still lingering inside Cincinnati's unique tight end room

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By John Sheeran | Last updated Jun 12, 2025 4:14 PM ET

Bengals roster breakdown is back! During the 99 days leading up to Cincinnati's regular season opener against the Cleveland Browns, the player with the matching jersey number as days remaining will become the day's highlighted player.

87 days remain until the Bengals' first game of the 2025 season, and No. 87 Tanner Hudson now takes center stage.

Tanner Hudson

Age: 30
Year: 8th
Position: Tight end
College: Southern Arkansas
Previous Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2018-20), San Francisco 49ers (2021), New York Giants (2022)
Jersey Number: 87

Hudson enters his third full season with the Bengals and eighth in the NFL after going undrafted following the 2018 NFL Draft. He's accumulated to 73 career receptions for 705 yards and 2 touchdowns in 56 games played (two starts) with four career playoff games played as well. He was a part of the Bucs' 2020 Super Bowl championship.

The Bengals first added Hudson to their practice squad during the 2022 season and pushed for the active roster during training camp in 2023. He missed final cuts but made the practice squad and was soon elevated to the roster early in the year. He ended up playing 12 games and had the best year of his career, catching 39 passes for 352 yards and a score. He re-signed for a one-year deal in 2024 and made the team, playing in just 11 games as his role decreased as the season progressed.

Contract Details

Hudson re-signed with Cincinnati again this offseason on a one-year, $1.255 million deal. All of his money is in his base salary and it is not guaranteed, meaning the Bengals can release him at any point this year without taking on dead money.

Hudson's contract is considered a Veteran Salary Benefit contract, which reduces his salary cap hit lower than the total cash involved in the deal. His cap hit for the 2025 season is $1.03 million.

Roster Outlook

Hudson tried to build off his momentum from 2023 last year, but the additions of Mike Gesicki, Erick All Jr., and Cam Grandy made him more of an afterthought. Hudson was the big slot of the offense before Gesicki came to town, and now both of them play virtually the same role.

All's injury kept Hudson around and may be a key reason why the Bengals retained him once more this offseason, but he's likely going to have to fight for a roster spot again in camp. His main competition figures to be Tanner McLachlan, a sixth-round pick from last year's draft who was mostly inactive as a rookie. McLachlan needs a promising camp and preseason to stick around, and while there's a scenario in which both make the cut, it's far from a given. Neither can afford to feel comfortable with the top of the position group settled.

Roster odds: 50%
Projected role: Reserve big slot