The move frees up $9.6 million in cap space and was not unexpected after an underwhelming lone season with the Bengals.
Cincinnati had been counting on Rankings to shore up the run defense and add to the interior pass rush following the departure of D.J. Reader last offseason; however, he also missed three weeks early in the season with a hamstring injury and just wasn’t effective when he was on the field. The Bengals leaned on rookies Kris Jenkins and McKinnley Jackson to fill a void in his absence, but the defensive line room will likely see even more changes this offseason with B.J. Hill on the other side of 30 and at the end of his contract.
Rankins finished with 18 tackles and one sack in seven games.
The Bengals can use the cap space savings as they rebuild the defense and try to figure out how to keep other key pieces in place. Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Trey Hendrickson are all looking for long-term extensions and raises, and Cincinnati director of player personnel Duke Tobin has expressed the team’s interest in keeping as many of those pieces in the building as possible.
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