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After a year in North Carolina, safety Vonn Bell is going to be able to watch Ohio State Buckeyes football games a little bit closer to his old stomping grounds.
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the Cincinnati Bengals are signing free agent Vonn Bell. Per the report, it’s technically a one-year deal worth $6 million, but the salary is being paid by the Carolina Panthers for cutting him while the Bengals pay Bell the league minimum.
That’s a good deal for Bell and a great deal for the Bengals.
Bell started his NFL career with the New Orleans Saints, playing there for four seasons before signing a three-year, $18 million contract with the Bengals in 2020. During his three seasons with the Bengals, he started all but one game and was their starting safety for their 2021 Super Bowl run.
Bell parlayed that successful run into a three-year, $22.5 million contract with the Panthers in 2023. But despite recording 69 tackles and an interception in his first year with the team, the Panthers released him afterwards.
The former Buckeyes safety was a First-Team All-Big Ten selection for the Buckeyes during their 2015 season. He helped the team win the first-ever College Football Playoff and wound up going No. 61 overall to the Saints in the 2016 NFL Draft.
The Bengals are retooling their defense after narrowly missing the playoffs in 2023. Will Bell be the difference between making and missing the playoffs in 2024?