Dalton Risner, a journeyman guard with plenty of playing experience, and the Bengals have come to terms on a one-year, $5 million contract extension heading into the 2026 season. Risner most recently played for the Cincinnati Bengals after spending time with the Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings.
Dalton Risner, Bengals, Agree To Contract
Terms update: Dalton Risner and the Bengals have agreed to a one-year extension worth up to $5 million, per his agents Drew Rosenhaus and Shawn O’Dare. pic.twitter.com/FKXIEYCgKN
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 2, 2026
Risner was initially a second-round pick of the Broncos in the 2019 NFL Draft. He came to the Broncos having not allowed a sack in his final three seasons in college and allowed just a 1.4% pressure rate at Kansas State. Heading into his rookie campaign, Risner won the starting left guard job and played well enough to earn All-Rookie honors from the PFWA. In 16 games, Risner allowed just 22 pressures and three sacks (all in one game). In his second season, it was more of the same. He started all 16 games for Denver, allowed 28 pressures, and had no sacks.
His 2021 season was the best-graded of his career from Pro Football Focus to that point. Of course, in 15 starts (he missed the Week 4 loss due to a foot injury), Risner allowed 21 pressures and four sacks. He entered a prove-it year with the Broncos in 2022 for the final year of his rookie deal. He was about the same player as he was in the three previous seasons, allowing 29 pressures and three sacks. Following the 2022 season, Risner hit free agency and signed with the Vikings ahead of Week 3 in the season. Minnesota gave him a one-year deal.
In that season, Risner appeared in 15 games and started all 11 games from Week 7 on. He allowed a career-high 30 pressures, but did post his second zero-sack-allowed season. Risner was rewarded with another one-year deal spanning the 2024 season, again with the Vikings. He began the 2024 season on IR due to a back injury he suffered in training camp, causing him to miss the first seven games. He was activated ahead of Week 9, and he started each of the final eight games from Week 11 on. In those eight starts, Risner allowed 21 pressures and just one sack.
Then, just ahead of the 2025 season (August 27), Risner signed a one-year deal with the Bengals to plug the right guard hole. He did not immediately start in Week 1, but he did start 11 games and appear in three others. In that time (767 snaps), he allowed just 17 pressures and two sacks.
In his career, Risner has just 168 pressures and 13 sacks on 5,826 offensive sacks (2.88% pressure-to-snap, 0.02% sack-to-snap ratio).