How Jonathan Allen’s Bengals Deal Could Ignite Unexpected Roster Shakeups This Season
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Cincinnati alleviated the first-year cap hit ($9.75 million) to some degree, but it balloons in the second year ($15.2 million). This structure gives the Bengals flexibility to exit the second year of the contract should Allen not pan out after this season, as they would free up $11.5 million in 2027 cap space with minimal dead cap.
After the signings of Allen, Boye Mafe, and Bryan Cook, the Bengals have a little north of $20 million in cap space. A new class of rookies will eat into that, likely leaving the Bengals with minimal “rental-type” deals with veterans over the next few weeks and months.
The next couple of nuances exemplify how the Bengals operate differently from almost every other NFL franchise. Restructuring the recent mega-deals for Joe Burrow and/or Ja’Marr Chase to limit their respective 2026 cap hits (which combine for roughly $74 million of the team’s 2026 cap) could be an option, but that would be unprecedented territory for Cincinnati’s front office.
When asked at the Combine about restructuring Burrow’s deal to allow more free-agency flexibility, he noted the team was “open” to that idea but also toed the company line about maintaining cap integrity for future years.
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