Dalton Risner‘s time in Cincinnati will continue in 2026. The veteran guard has been re-signed, the team announced on Monday. 
This is a one-year pact, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports it has a maximum value of $5MM. Risner will be in line for a considerable raise depending on the incentives present in this new contract. Signing with Cincinnati shortly before the start of this past season, Risner secured just $1.34MM after playing out a pair of one-year Vikings deals each worth less than $3MM.
Not long after the 2025 campaign ended, it became clear a mutual interest existed between Risner and the Bengals to work out another pact. As such, today’s news comes as little surprise. Critically, this agreement also ensures stability along the offensive line for the Bengals.
As noted by The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr., this coming season will be the first in the Zac Taylor era (2019-present) in which Cincinnati returns all five primary offensive line starters from the previous year. Risner made 14 appearances and 11 starts in 2025, and he can now be expected to remain a staple at right guard next season. Continuity up front will be key for the Bengals, a team which has faced questions about its Joe Burrow protection for several years.
After Burrow missed considerable time in 2025, a rare season without any notable injuries will be sought out in his case. Managing to keep the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback upright would go a long way in ensuring the Bengals manage to reach the playoffs in 2026, something the team has failed to do for the past three years. Playing a key role in that effort would help Risner, 30, secure another Cincinnati commitment or a longer one from an outside team.
The Bengals entered Monday with roughly $50MM in cap space. That figure will allow for a number of free agent signings if Cincinnati wishes to make several additions from outside the organization. In any case, an important re-signing has been taken care of before the start of free agency.