Topic / Subject

The Bengals made two low-cost roster moves for 2026: CB Jalen Davis got a one-year extension, and RB Kendall Milton was re-signed to a one-year deal.

Key Details

• Cincinnati signed CB Jalen Davis to a one-year contract extension for the 2026 season.
• Cincinnati re-signed RB Kendall Milton to a one-year contract for the 2026 season.
• Per the team, Davis will be a sixth-year player in 2026 and has played in 59 regular-season games (three starts) since joining the Bengals in 2020.
• The Bengals list Davis’ Cincinnati totals as 36 tackles, one sack, one pass defensed, one interception, and one forced fumble.
• Per the team, Milton will be a first-year player in 2026 and spent most of 2024–25 on the Bengals’ practice squad.
• The team notes Milton has appeared in three games as a practice-squad elevation (two carries, two yards).
• Financial terms weren’t disclosed in the announcement.

Breakdown

This is the “keep the bottom of the roster warm” part of the offseason — and teams that don’t do it end up scrambling mid-season when injuries hit.

Davis is the type of corner coaches trust because he’s already lived in the system. He’s got real-game experience (59 appearances with Cincinnati) and can be that plug-and-play option if the Bengals need snaps in sub packages or special teams juice.

Milton is more of a lottery ticket. The team framing is clear: he’s been mostly practice squad the last two seasons, and his regular-season usage has been minimal so far. But locking him in for 2026 keeps a developmental back in the building while the Bengals sort out the bigger RB room decisions.

The key here is timing. Doing these moves now doesn’t stop Cincinnati from swinging bigger in free agency or the draft — it just means they aren’t walking into camp with empty “depth” boxes on the spreadsheet.

What to Watch Next

• Whether Davis stays strictly a depth/special teams piece or gets a real rotation lane in camp.
• What the Bengals do at corner and running back once free agency and the draft start reshaping the depth chart.
• Any reported contract details later (cap hits, guarantees) that clarify how “safe” these roster spots really are.

TL;DR / Summary

Cincinnati extended Jalen Davis and brought back Kendall Milton on one-year deals for 2026, classic, cheap depth before the offseason heavy lifting begins.

Sources

• Cincinnati Bengals (official): Bengals Sign CB Jalen Davis to Contract Extension, Re-Sign Kendall Milton
• NBC Sports ProFootballTalk: Bengals bring back CB Jalen Davis, RB Kendall Milton for 2026

Comment

Which spot needs the bigger offseason upgrade for Cincinnati, corner or running back?