Bengals Could Pursue T Addition

This offseason has not included a strong run of performances on Ford’s part, however. As a result, Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes the Bengals could look to add a new candidate to handle swing tackle duties. Ford has totaled 50 appearances with his third career team, but head coach Zac Taylor acknowledged the depth chart behind Brown and Mims has not been decided yet.

“I think that’s still pretty open,” Taylor said (via Conway). “I think there’s guys we’re still looking at and I wouldn’t say there’s any decisions we’ve made there.”

Ford re-signed with the Bengals on a one-year deal worth $1.3MM in base pay. The 29-year-old’s only guaranteed money was a $500K signing bonus, though. A release would therefore yield $1.3MM in savings for Cincinnati while incurring just $500K in dead money, although Conway adds it is unlikely Ford will be cut.

The Bengals used Jalen Rivers as a starter at right guard on seven occasions during his rookie season, but they also view him as a swing tackle candidate. The 2025 fifth-rounder’s showings over the coming days could go a long way in determining how Cincinnati proceeds with respect to O-line moves. As Conway notes, though, Rivers has joined Ford in delivering inconsistent performances this summer.

With nearly $17MM in cap space and eight 2027 draft picks to their name, the Bengals could certainly afford a low-cost flier on offensive line depth with roster cuts looming. Given the efforts already made in a win-now sense earlier this offseason, it would come as no surprise if Cincinnati looked to aggressively pursue a new swing tackle prior to Week 1.