Bengals complicate tight end depth chart by signing Noah Fant

The Cincinnati Bengals saw an opportunity they couldn't pass up, but it might make things a bit complicated.

On Thursday, the Bengals reached a reported agreement to sign tight end Noah Fant, the former first-round pick of the Denver Broncos.

Fant had been cut by the Seattle Seahawks in a salary-saving move, and he now is onto his third NFL team.

It's a bit of a curious move by the Bengals, if only because tight end didn't appear to be a position of need in Cincinnati.

The Bengals have an incumbent starter who is still a strong player, Mike Gesicki.

Behind Gesicki, there's Drew Sample, who has been a reliable backup for the Bengals for years now.

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Cincinnati also has Erick All Jr., who was a fourth-round pick in 2024 and likely deserves another year or two to prove he belongs after that draft investment in him.

That's not even mentioning Tanner Hudson or Cam Grandy, both guys who have legitimate NFL experience as well.

Fant joins that crowded room trying to prove he can still be a receiving weapon and a red-zone threat.

In 2024 for the Seahawks, Fant had 48 catches for 500 yards.

He's 27 years old, and at 6-foot-4, 249 pounds, Fant is still in his athletic prime. 

In reality, Fant may beat out everyone but Gesicki on the depth chart, if he adjusts to his new teammates in time. It's a low-risk move for Cincy, which basically just picked Fant up off the scrap heap.

There's still real talent there, though, and it means all the non-Gesicki tight ends in Cincinnati better watch out, because Fant might be coming for their job.

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