Bengals remain very much in the game with big name free agent after visit concludes with no deal

Fant was released by the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. The Bengals were the first club he visited since hitting the open market. Thursday was a time for both sides to establish what they wanted from each other, and even if no deal was reached, Fant's plan was to see what multiple teams have in store for him. so a decision this early from was unlikely from the jump.

Cincinnati jumped to the front of the line to meet with Fant for good reason. Per The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr., the club's pursuit of the former first-round pick is very real.

"I think they see an opportunity for [Fant] to bring something that they don't already have, and they're pursuing it, aggressively," Dehner said Thursday night on The Growler podcast. "And I think there's a chance that it happens."

What will ultimately influence Fant's decision is opportunity combined with compensation. Seattle released him a year after he signed a two-year, $21 million deal which guaranteed him $11.49 million. He ended up earning $11.91 million, but lost the chance at earning the remaining $9.09 million.

He also started in nine of the 14 games he played and led the Seahawks' TE group in snaps with 569 last season. 

$9 million for over 500 snaps may not be on the table for Fant in Cincinnati, but if it's not anywhere else, then the Bengals become one of his best options. He'd have a top-four quarterback in Joe Burrow throwing him the ball, and while Drew Sample and Mike Gesicki remain atop the depth chart, the offense could use him in the role Erick All Jr. held last year before a torn ACL took him out until 2026. 

Cincinnati is in on signing Fant. His visit may be over, but his chances of coming back seem real.