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NFL NFL Free Agency Dalton Risner will return to the Bengals instead of hitting free agency. Jamie Schwaberow / Getty Images The Bengals announced Monday that they have agreed to a new deal with veteran guard Dalton Risner. He’s signed for one year at up to $5 million, according to his agent, Drew Rosenhaus. Risner, 30, joined the Bengals in August as a free agent after stints with the Vikings and Broncos. He solidified a right guard spot that had been a question heading into the season, playing in 14 games and starting 11 in Cincinnati. He ranked first on the offensive line in pass block grade, according to PFF, allowing two sacks and four QB hits. Advertisement The move keeps a Bengals offensive line that showed much improvement in 2025 intact for next season and avoids opening Risner up to free agency next week. He’ll slot back in the starting five alongside left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. , left guard Dylan Fairchild, center Ted Karras and right tackle Amarius Mims. This marks the first time since coach Zac Taylor — and, more importantly, quarterback Joe Burrow — arrived in Cincinnati that the Bengals have returned the same five predominant starters the following season. The oft-maligned unit in Cincinnati took significant strides over the second half of the season once the rookie Fairchild settled in at left guard and Risner took over on the right side. Over the final nine weeks of the season, the Bengals ranked second in the NFL in pressure rate allowed and sixth in sack percentage. They ranked fourth in rushing success percentage over the same span. Mims and Karras both made public pleas following the season for the Bengals to bring back Risner and maintain continuity. “I think you saw really, really good growth from our young players — Amarius, Dylan, ” offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said. “Dalton, I thought he played really well for us. Ted is still playing excellent football. Orlando played well. Yeah, we are happy with where we are at there. We made some major strides in that area. “Doesn’t mean there is not more work to do, because there is, but really pleased with the culture we have established in that room. The types of guys we have in there. Guys who are coming into their own. Young players we brought here for a reason because we had a vision for them. You are starting to see that vision come to fruition. That’s a big deal. They should feel confidence from that. We should feel confidence from that as an organization as long as we continue to put the work in and make sure we stay in that trajectory. ” Risner expressed interest in returning to Cincinnati after multiple years playing for different teams and remaining unsigned late into the offseason, including waiting until late August to sign with the Bengals. Advertisement His immediate fit was noticed inside the locker room, and made bringing him back an obvious choice in the eyes of the front office; it was just merely a matter of agreeing upon the price. “He came in late to the process and really fit in, ” director of player personnel Duke Tobin said. “I thought it ended up being a great fit for him in how we play, and he became a great fit for us and came in and filled the need for us. Did a nice job, fit in well, got a ton of respect for him, really enjoyed getting to know him. He’s really a fantastic person just to be around in the locker room on a day-to-day basis. ” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle Paul Dehner Jr. is a senior writer for The Athletic. He's been covering the Bengals and NFL since 2009, for six seasons with The Cincinnati Enquirer and The Athletic since 2019. He's born, raised and proudly Cincinnati. Follow Paul on Twitter @pauldehnerjr