1 of 5 | Tight end Noah Fant spent the last three seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo
July 31 (UPI) — The Cincinnati Bengals agreed to sign tight end Noah Fant, his agency, Athletes First, confirmed Thursday. Fant, who spent last season with the Seattle Seahawks, is expected to sign a one-year deal.
The Bengals also announced Thursday they waived tight end Kole Taylor.
“He gives you even more flexibility,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor told reporters Thursday, when asked about Fant’s potential signing. “You’ve got a player that’s really a plus player in both the run and the pass.
“So, at the point of the attack, backside blocking and protection can help you, but also really explosive as a receiver. … Great size, great explosiveness, really good hands, tough to bring down. I think that’s another weapon.”
Fant also drew interest from the Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints. The 6-foot-4, 249-pound pass catcher totaled 48 catches for 500 yards and a score over 14 appearances last season for the Seahawks.
Fant, the No. 20 overall pick by the Denver Broncos in the 2019 NFL Draft, joined the Seahawks in 2022 as part of the Russell Wilson trade. He totaled 300 catches for 3,305 yards and 15 scores over his first six seasons in the league.
Fant hauled in a career-high 68 catches for 670 yards and four scores over 16 starts in 2021 for the Broncos.
The 27-year-old will now enter a Bengals tight ends room that includes Mike Gesicki and Drew Sample.
The Bengals will take on the Philadelphia Eagles in their 2025 preseason opener Aug. 7 in Philadelphia. They will play the Cleveland Browns in their regular-season opener Sept. 7 in Cleveland.