Story byMatt SullivanMon, January 19, 2026 at 8:38 PM UTC·2 min readBengals quietly get ahead of free agency with one-year extension for veteran tight end originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The Cincinnati Bengals have a busy and important offseason ahead of them following the completion of the 2025 NFL season. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWhile a lot of eyes will be on the defensive side of the ball, especially Trey Hendrickson, the offense cannot be ignored. Fortunately, the Bengals have already begun to address the offense. According to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team, the Bengals and one of their tight ends, Tanner Hudson, have agreed to a one-year extension for the 2026 season. Bengals extend TE ahead of free agency"The Bengals and TE Tanner Hudson have agreed to a 1-year extension," Meirov reports, "preventing him from becoming a free agent in March."By getting out ahead of free agency, the Bengals make sure that there's one less position to worry about this offseason. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMike Gesicki is signed for a few years, while Drew Sample and Noah Fant make up the tight end room ahead of Hudson. But, the Bengals use their tight ends often, and Hudson this past season had 19 receptions for 168 yard sand two touchdowns. More: Zac Taylor was mad for dumbest reason ever after Myles Garrett's record-breaking sackThat's not an insignificant amount of production, and with the 31-year-old tight end knowing the offense well, there's little reason to let him walk, given how he's still a solid player. This isn't an expensive extension, and while the specifics of this extension aren't known as of yet, it won't be a deal that will hurt their chances to sign free agents this offseason. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt's a depth re-signing that's smart to make for the Bengals.
