Report: Cincinnati Bengals signing TE Noah Fant

The Seattle Seahawks released tight end Noah Fant, their leading tight end in each of his three seasons on the roster, going into training camp on July 20th. Fant has now landed with a new team, though, with his reported signing to play for one of the very best passing offenses in the NFL.

Per reports on Thursday from around the National Football League, Fant has signed with the Cincinnati Bengals, which will have him catching passes from QB Joe Burrow and sharing targets alongside wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. With that, ESPN’s Adam Schefter has reported further that he’ll be on a one-year deal with Cincy.

Over six seasons total, three apiece with the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks, Fant has 300 receptions for 3,305 yards, posting 34.8 yards a game and 11 per catch, and 15 touchdowns. That includes, after being a key piece in the trade that brought QB Russell Wilson to Denver, a total of 130 receptions for 1,400 yards, averaging 29.2 per game and 10.8 per reception, and five touchdowns the last three years with the Seahawks.

However, entering the second season of a two-year extension with the team, Seattle released Fant a week and a half ago. That made him available to the league as camps got underway.

With that, Cincinnati has added Fant as yet another weapon for Burrow. The Bengals had the top passing offense last season and have been Top 10 in three of the past four seasons, as Burrow had a career-best year last year.

Burr had a 70.6% completion percentage for 4,918 yards, posting 289.3 per game. He also threw for 43 touchdowns and nine interceptions, with his completions, attempts, passing yardage both overall and per game, and passing touchdowns being the best in the NFL.

Chase, who won the triple crown in receiving because of that, and Higgins have a lot to do with that as arguably the best receiver duo in the league. But tight ends have also had success with Burrow, such as C.J. Uzomah, Hayden Hurst, and the one who’s still there in Mike Gesicki, who was third behind that duo a season ago with 65 catches for 665 yards and a pair of scores.

As if Cincinnati needed another quality target, it now has one with this reported signing of Fant. He’ll now look to be more productive than he has, at least than he has been in the past two seasons, as part of a prolific passing offense for the Bengals.