Cincinnati Bengals
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Joe Burrow expressed his feelings on the Bengals re-signing Dalton Risner
The NFL’s legal tampering period of free agency is only one week away, and the Cincinnati Bengals have already made sure one of their top free agents does not make it so far. TheBengals re-signed offensive lineman Dalton Risnerto a one-year, $5 million contract.
Regarding his play last season, ESPN Bengals writer Ben Baby said,“Risner started nine of his 14 appearances at right guard last season, including the final seven games of the season. He ranked 36th in pass block win rate as a guard at 92.6%, which is the highest mark of any Bengals player since Zac Taylor became head coach before the 2019 season.”
After the season ended, Risner had spoken about wanting to return to Cincinnati; however, hedeclared that he was uncertain that it would happen. He said, “I would probably say 50-50. I have no inkling on whether it’s going to get done or not. I want to, but at the same time, I think it needs to be a fair deal for both sides. And I know that the deal I’m willing to sign is a fair deal for them. I just hope that they can work with me to make it a fair deal on my end because this is where I want to be.”
Now, he is back with the team and quarterback Joe Burrow appears to be happy.
Joe Burrow Shares Feelings on Cincinnati Bengals Newest Signing
Bengals writer Geoff Hobson noted that quarterback Joe Burrow was happy with the team re-signing Risner as he said, “Burrow FaceTimed him as the deal came to be, but the face of the franchise won’t be the only one pleased with Risner’s return. Most of the offensive line, led by captains Orlando Brown Jr. and Ted Karras, lobbied for the move in front of microphones and in text messages. Coaches, such as offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher and the head man himself, Zac Taylor, spoke publicly of his production.”
Zac Taylor was asked last week about the possibility of re-signing Riser. He answered, “I like Dalton a lot,” Taylor said. “We are in the business side of it right now. We continue to work through it. He did a great job for us last year and I liked being around him.”
Regarding re-signing with the team, Risner said, “I’m elated, and we’re going to have a great year, man. I’m going to help the Bengals win, and it’s our year. I felt like both sides were proactive in getting something done. Both sides had to hold their ground a little bit, but at the end of the day, they wanted a deal done. I wanted a deal done. I was very outspoken about that.”
Risner’s 2025 Season
Risner signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract with the Bengals prior to the 2025 season.Pro Football Focus graded him as the 26th best guard in the NFL with a 69.4 overall grade. He ranked in the top-25 in both pass blocking and run blocking. That performance resulted in a substantial pay raise for the 2026 season.
Risner started seven games with Joe Burrow as his quarterback last season, the Bengals went 4-3 in those games. Ben Baby noted that “When Risner started the final seven games of the season, Cincinnati ranked 23rd in overall pass block win rate, an improvement from 29th in the first 11 weeks of the season.”