Cincy Jungle
A new weapon.
The Cincinnati Bengals were among several NFL teams to host Noah Fant on a visit recently.
Now, the Bengals have landed the veteran tight end, according to a report by Adam Schefter.
A 2019 first-round NFL Draft pick of the Denver Broncos, the former Iowa Hawkeyes standout has appeared in 95 career games (83 starts), catching 300 passes for 3,305 yards (11.0 avg) and 15 touchdowns.
Last year in Seattle, Fant hauled in 48 passes for 500 yards and one score in 14 games (nine starts) while earning a 66.0 Pro Football Focus grade.
Fant joins a fairly crowded tight end room. Mike Gesicki signed a three-year deal this offseason, so his job is safe. Veteran Drew Sample seems to have carved out a nice role for himself in the offense, so he would have an inside track to sticking around as well.
That leaves Fant, Tanner Hudson, Cam Grandy, Kole Taylor, and Tanner McLaughlin as the other tight ends on the roster for training camp. Erick All Jr. is expected to miss the entire 2025 season after suffering a torn ACL last season.
Fant brings an interesting element to the Bengals' offense, adding an additional weapon for Joe Burrow. Fant isn’t necessarily an elite blocker, but he won’t be a liability either. With the profile of more of a receiver, Fant becomes another option that defenses will have to plan for.
Fant, Gesicki, and Sample should make the final roster, leaving the rest of the tight end group to battle it out in the rest of training camp.
