Dalton Risner Re-Sign Starts Bengals Offseason

When the Bengals didn’t wait for free agency to make their first big move of the offseason on Monday, it meant Dalton Risner won’t have to spend an offseason waiting to find out he’s a big part of his team’s plans at right guard.

“It’s such a relief,” said Risner, who popped back into Paycor Stadium Monday morning with wife Whitney to re-up for another year. “And it’s a relief because I’m coming back to somewhere I love.

“With coaches and players that I love and respect, a staff that I respect, the team I want to play for, a team that respects me and values me and believes in me, and that’s all you can ask for.”

The deal comes a week before free agency hits the fan, and no doubt ranks as one of the Bengals’ more popular moves of a recent vintage.

After a season he helped save the opener despite showing up days before, Risner won over the locker room and city with his gregarious, generous passion while wooing the coaches with steel-belted play that proved to be the final piece of the best offensive line in quarterback Joe Burrow’s six seasons.

Burrow FaceTimed him as the deal came to be, but the face of the franchise won’t be the only one pleased with Risner’s return. Most of the offensive line, led by captains Orlando Brown Jr. and Ted Karras, lobbied for the move in front of microphones and in text messages. Coaches, such as offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher and the head man himself, Zac Taylor, spoke publicly of his production.

Risner, of course, has been the loudest and most devout. At age 30 and in the last hour of his seventh NFL season, he had found the place that hugged him back on and off the field.

One of Risner’s last moves before he went back home to Colorado following last season was a talk with Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin. His last ask of agent Drew Rosenhaus after informed of the deal last week was Tobin’s phone number.

“I called Duke told him how much I loved and appreciated him, and I told him I owe him a big hug on Monday, too,” Risner said. “I’m elated, and we’re going to have a great year, man. I’m going to help the Bengals win, and it’s our year.

“I felt like both sides were proactive in getting something done. Both sides had to hold their ground a little bit, but at the end of the day, they wanted a deal done. I wanted a deal done. I was very outspoken about that.”

The quickest this thing could have happened was last week in Indianapolis at the NFL scouting combine as the Bengals began to put their offseason plan to work. The first box in the Super Bowl blueprint has been checked.

“They’re serious about winning it all, man. Let’s freaking go,” Risner said.