CINCINNATI — The Bengals announced Friday they have released defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins after just one year with the team.
Rankins, a 10-year veteran in the NFL, was signed by the Bengals as a free agent in March 2024 on a two-year deal. He played in seven games for the Bengals, all starts, but missed several games due to a combination of injury and an undisclosed illness for 7 weeks. Rankins only recorded 18 tackles and one sack in his seven games.
Adam Schefter, ESPN's Senior NFL Insider, reported the Bengals will save $9.618 million on its salary cap in 2025.
The Bengals did not provide any further rationale for Rankins' release. He previously played with the Texans, Jets and Saints.
Rankins was regarded as one of the most promising free agent signings for a Bengals defense that lost DJ Reader the season prior, but due to his injuries and illness, he never lived up to the hype.
The release comes as the Bengals still have not announced contract extensions for defensive lineman Trey Hendrickson, wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase and wide receiver Tee Higgins. Cap space is the biggest concern for the team when considering re-signing those three, while also having Joe Burrow's big paycheck on the books.
