Cincinnati Bengals’ front office is weighing a familiar deadline question with the AFC race tightening; protect leads, shorten games, and keep the offense steady while the quarterback room heals, or stand pat and risk thin margins in November weather.
Bengals Trade Rumors: Juwan Johnson Emerges As An Option
The name drawing interest is New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson, a 29-year-old on a three-year, $30.75 million contract signed in March 2025. His current cap hit is listed at $5,254,765 for 2025, and his deal carries $21,250,000 in guaranteed value with an average annual value of $10,250,000, providing acquiring teams with cost certainty beyond this season. Spotrac’s breakdown shows a multi-year structure with proration, which would be handled differently depending on the trade timing, including post–June 1 rules that split the remaining proration across seasons.
On the field, Johnson’s 2025 production has been steady within a low‑output offense. Through nine games, he has 39 receptions for 399 yards and two touchdowns, with a 69.6% catch rate and a 6.8‑yard average depth of target. He scored in Week 9 against the Los Angeles Rams and leads New Orleans’ tight ends in snaps and routes, with usage data showing 57 targets on 258 routes and a 22.1% targeted‑on‑route rate.
“He was always that guy who was just working hard, didn’t complain.”#Saints TE Juwan Johnson on catching Tyler Shough’s first career TD pass.
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>Johnson and Shough were teammates at Oregon in 2019. pic.twitter.com/AxfFnVcGGx— NOF (@nofnetwork) November 3, 2025
The numbers indicate that Johnson has been consistently involved and offers the reliable short-to-mid-range presence that teams often want before the trade deadline. RotoWire’s advanced data shows he’s still the main tight end based on snaps and alignment, and his Week 9 touchdown in the 34–10 loss backs that up. His contract is team-friendly enough for a contender, and his skill set should fit smoothly into most systems without much tweaking.
How Juwan Johnson Fits Into Bengals’ System
Cincinnati’s interim formula favors early‑down control and execution in scoring zones until Joe Burrow returns. Johnson profiles as a chain‑moving tight end who works option routes, sits down in zones, and offers a quarterback‑friendly window over the middle. His target profile and catch rate align with sustaining drives and supporting play‑action sequencing, particularly for offenses that need reliable first‑read outlets to avoid long third downs.
Inside the 20, veteran tight ends typically help lift conversion by improving short‑yardage reliability and reducing negative plays. Johnson’s usage (leading TE snaps, routes, and steady targets) suggests a stabilizing presence in two-minute control when ahead and in four-minute closeouts to protect leads. RotoWire’s snaps and route data (258 routes, 57 targets, 22.1% targets per route) indicate consistent deployment when the Saints pass, and his aDOT and yards after catch context fit the possession role Cincinnati could emphasize.
From a roster standpoint, the 2025 cap figure is manageable, while the multi-year structure requires weighing the remaining bonus proration and the potential outlay noted in later years. Spotrac’s table lists the cap components (base salary, signing proration, and restructuring proration) underlying the $5,254,765 2025 hit. It outlines savings and dead‑cap scenarios for various release or trade timings, which are standard considerations for any acquiring club.
Johnson’s cumulative line (39-399-2 through nine games) reflects productivity in a struggling offense. Placed alongside Cincinnati’s receivers, the expectation would be baseline efficiency gains in middle-field windows and red-zone sequencing without disrupting the team’s identity.
Ultimately, any movement turns on New Orleans’ price and Cincinnati’s buyer profile at the deadline. If compensation aligns, adding Johnson is the type of targeted move that preserves competitiveness and raises drive success. At the same time, the quarterback room stabilizes, giving the Bengals a controllable contract through the current term and a versatile tight end who fits November football.