End of the road has arrived for Bengals' locker room leader

As evidenced by former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback AJ McCarron getting released a month before his contract was set to expire, pending NFL free agents are not free agents until free agency makes them free agents. 

McCarron was one one of nearly 20 Bengals with expiring contracts heading into the 2024 league year. There will be some that get extended right before free agency begins, but the ones with the most to gain on the open market will push to see the market actually opening on Mar. 11.

With the exception of wide receiver Tee Higgins, who's expected to receive the franchise tag, here are four Bengals who are likely to test the free agency waters next month.

Bengals Who Won't Be Re-Signed

Tyler Boyd, wide receiver

This will be tough to watch, but it's the right decision. Boyd has been with the Bengals longer than anyone left on the roster. No one has seen more ups and downs as a lasting player of the organization. He's transformed from a 21-year old wide eyed rookie to the locker room leader of an incredible receiving corps.

For that reason alone there could be interest in bringing Boyd back, but he'll want to see what else is out there for him. In all likelihood, there will be greater third contract offers for him elsewhere.   

It's time for Ja'Marr Chase to fully ascend as the leader of the receivers room. Boyd's replacement shouldn't even be a full-time slot like he was for several years. Getting Chase inside more often like some of his elite peers is also what's best for the offense going forward. It all adds up to Boyd and the Bengals going their separate ways. 

Jonah Williams, offensive tackle

Maybe an even more obvious departure than Boyd, Williams could've been gone last year had the Bengals pulled the trigger on an NFL Draft day trade. The Jacksonville Jaguars had interest before taking Anton Harrison right before the Bengals in the first round. Williams was kept on the roster and churned out a quality first season at right tackle. It did nothing but increase his potential market value.

Williams will absolutely want to see what's out there for him. He may even net the most valuable contract out of any free agent tackle. That deal isn't coming from the Bengals a year after they paid Orlando Brown Jr. a hefty bag.

Cincinnati is poised to land a promising right tackle in the first round of this year's draft. Developing a player with greater upside than Williams ever had feels like the way to go moving forward. 

Chidobe Awuzie, cornerback

Had Awuzie stayed healthy for all of the last three years, he would've been my pick for the best value signing the Bengals have made since becoming more aggressive in free agency. Getting high quality cornerback play for a Super Bowl run and half of 2022 was still incredible for only $7 million a year. It took him over a year to start playing close to his former self in 2023, and even then, the drop off was noticeable. 

The drafting of both Cam Taylor-Britt and DJ Turner II over the last two years makes this a relatively easy decision for the Bengals. Awuzie still belongs in the league somewhere, but it won't be as a starter for the Bengals.

DJ Reader, defensive tackle

It all comes down to the medical. Reader is barely two months removed from tearing his quad, an injury that ended his season and will likely take several more months to fully recover from. He'll be 30 by the time he puts on pads again as well. These are not promising truths for the Bengals to bring him back as early as possible. 

The Bengals aren't likely to be alone in letting Reader test the market. Interested clubs are going to do their due diligence in how his recovery is going, or if he can even pass a physical. Larry Ogunjobi underwent a similar process in 2022. He agreed to a three-year deal with the Chicago Bears very early in free agency that year, but the deal was scrubbed when he failed their physical. Ogunjobi had to wait until the summer to sign a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Right before training camp could see the return of Reader, or another team swooping in.