The Cincinnati Bengals have been dealing with contract drama for the majority of their offseason. While they managed to sign star wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to long-term deals, they still have to figure out what they want to do with defensive lineman Trey Hendrickson.
Keeping their stars in town is crucial, but there are holes still on Cincinnati’s roster as they prepare to enter the 2025 campaign that could still be filled. One area that could use some reinforcing is the offensive line, but one of their top free agent targets, Brandon Scherff, came off the board after making a big announcement.
Bengals Miss Out on Brandon Scherff After Retirement Announcement
Scherff broke into the league after getting selected by the Washington Redskins with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. He immediately won a starting job on their offensive line and quickly turned himself into one of the best right guards in the game, earning five Pro Bowl selections and a spot on the All-Pro First Team in 2020 during his seven seasons in Washington.
After that, Scherff latched on with the Jacksonville Jaguars for three seasons, but his quality of play dipped, as he didn’t earn any Pro Bowl selections during his time with the team. Still, given the need for offensive linemen in the league, Scherff drew a lot of attention when he hit the open market this offseason.
As time went on, it became clear that Scherff’s playing future was up in the air. While it’s become more common for veteran players to wait to sign a new deal closer to the start of the regular season, it seemed like retirement was on the table for Scherff. Sure enough, he recently revealed that he quietly decided to call it a career this offseason.
“It’s been something I could never dream of,” Scherff said via John Bohnenkamp of Hawkeyes Sports. “Sometimes I would tell my wife that she has to pinch me, because I’m playing a kid’s game, and being able to do it as a job is pretty amazing. Now, having kids and being able to see them after games is absolutely wonderful. So I would say it’s a dream come true. And I will be forever grateful to have had that chance.”
Bengals Forced to Look Elsewhere for Offensive Line Help
GettyOffensive lineman Brandon Scherff
While Cincinnati has solid tackles in Orlando Brown Jr. and Amarius Mims, as well as a strong veteran center in Ted Karras, their guard depth is a bit lacking. Lucas Patrick and Dylan Fairchild are penciled in as the starters currently, but Patrick is a longtime veteran who hasn’t always excelled in the NFL, while Fairchild is an unproven third-round rookie.
Had the Bengals managed to lure Scherff to town, he could have immediately started for them at his native right guard position. However, a return to the field isn’t in the cards for the former Iowa Hawkeyes star, so if Cincinnati wants help at this spot, they are going to have to pivot to some other potential options.
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