March 16, 2026, 4:16 p.m. ET

The Cincinnati Bengals have made some strange decisions in terms of contracts with their free-agent signings over the last week. 

Namely, the Bengals aren’t using conventional means to lessen immediate cap hits, hurting their cap space right now in exchange for better flexibility in the long run. 

It’s a very Bengals brand way of doing things and looks even odder when considering something like the contract Trey Hendrickson just got with the Baltimore Ravens. 

Hendrickon, a former All-Pro at the age of 31, signed a four-year deal technically worth $112 million, per Over The Cap. But the cap hits break down like this: 

2026: $15 million2027: $18 million2028: $35.5 million2029: $34.5 millionNeed a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!

The Ravens can get out of the Hendrickson deal after 2027 with minimal cap hit, based on the structure and post-June 1 cut savings. 

Boye Mafe, still an ascending player, signed a three-year deal with the Bengals worth $60 million. His cap hits: 

2026: $17 million2027: $21.3 million2028: $21.7 million

This isn’t a one-to-one comparison because the Bengals didn’t want to guarantee money past Year 1. Hendrickson wanted more years. 

But it’s not a rare thing right now, as further expanded by the Bryan Cook contract, which was a full $2.6 million higher in cap hit than expected. 

This is the case for nearly every Bengals signing so far. It adds up: tally all the possible cap savings the Bengals could have made right now, and it might just equate to another solid starter they could have signed. Linebacker and slot corner come to mind. 

Instead, the way the Bengals do business on contracts doesn’t seem to have changed all that much. And when Joe Burrow’s in win-now mode and the pressure is at its highest, that registers as concerning.Â