Updated March 19, 2026, 1:38 p.m. ET
The Cincinnati Bengals lost a key free agent to the Denver Broncos on Wednesday night.
Until they didn’t.
Said free agent is safety Tycen Anderson, who isn’t a household name, but is an integral part of the special teams play for Darrin Simmons in Cincinnati.
Anderson reportedly signed a one year deal with the Broncos late Wednesday, according to Local 12’s Yanni Tragellis and others.
Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post later followed up with a report of his own, saying there is no agreement: “Not impossible — safety depth and special teams is a Denver need generally speaking — but one source said a deal between the sides is ‘nowhere close.’”
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It would be shocking to see the Bengals lose Anderson, a fifth-round pick in 2022 who has blossomed into a key contributor on special teams. He’s quality depth at what has been a rough position for the Bengals since Jessie Bates left, too.
Considering Anderson only has a projected market of $1.8 million per year, the Bengals letting him get away would be surprising…but neither is the interest from other teams.
Losing Anderson would quietly create a pretty big need for the Bengals, so this saga is suddenly one to watch.
UPDATE: Anderson later signed with the Broncos, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.