On Monday, the Cincinnati Bengals re-signed one of their offensive linemen, Dalton Risner, in an effort to keep quarterback Joe Burrow upright.
The news, however, came from an incredibly reliable source: his wife.
Dalton Risner’s Wife Breaks the News of His Return to Cincinnati
Risner, 30, was drafted in the second round and No. 41 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos.
After spending four seasons there, he left for the Minnesota Vikings, where he played in 2023 and 2024, signing one-year deals in each instance.
He then went to his third team, the Bengals, in 2025 after signing a one-year, $1.33 million deal.
Now, according to his wife Whitney, he’s returning to the Bengals.
I’m feeling like @AdamSchefter right now pic.twitter.com/iTsvjzGjQ3
— whitney risner (@whitmarierisner) March 2, 2026
“I’ve got some inside information, and I just feel like you guys can keep a secret,” she started.
“Per sources, Dalton Risner is signing back to the Cincinnati Bengals, and sources are me, baby,” she says with a smile on her face.
According to PFSN, Risner had a quality 2025 season, allowing 2 sacks, 17 pressures, and a 3.6% pressure rate. In addition to moves like re-signing Risner, fans can also take control of the Bengals’ full offseason with the NFL Ultimate GM Simulator tool, courtesy of PFSN.
Also, as Ari Meirov points out, the Bengals will enter the 2026 season with the same starting five along the offensive line as in 2025, which, as he notes, has never happened for Burrow.
The #Bengals are poised to enter 2026 with all five of their main starting offensive linemen from 2025:
LT: Orlando Brown Jr.
LG: Dylan Fairchild
C: Ted Karras
RG: Dalton Risner
RT: Amarius MimsThat has never happened with Joe Burrow at QB. https://t.co/tT23BPtBTZ
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 2, 2026
The Bengals finished 12th in PFSN’s Offense Impact metric with a 76.9 grade, but keep in mind that Burrow only played eight games last season. A big part of that was the offensive line, which ranked 7th in PFSN’s OL Impact score, with a grade of 79.7.
In addition to the reactions from analysts and Risner’s wife, BengalsCaptain, who was named the Bengals’ “Co-Fan of the Year 2024,” had this to say about Risner returning:
“LFG!! So glad to have you back, @Dalton_Risner66!
“I was never worried about the interest, I was a little worried about actually getting the numbers in line.
“The Bengals keep a guy who elevated OL play, and both fans and teammates loved him. Huge,” BengalsCaptain wrote on X.
According to Spotrac, it’s a 1-year, $5 million deal, which is more than affordable for one of the most steady pass-blocking guards in the NFL.
