Jonah Williams was considered a goner once the 2024 NFL free agency period began, after Orlando Brown Jr. signed with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Duke Tobin isn’t doing much to challenge that assumption.
In an interview with Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Tobin did not seem like someone who expected Williams to return next season, at least not in comparison to what he said about fellow impending free agent Tee Higgins.
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“I believed Jonah played well, switched positions, and provided us a full season. “It was impressive,” Tobin stated. “He shown versatility, which will benefit him in the long run. I’m not sure what the future holds. We will see.
“We’ve got this pie; whether it’s big enough for him or if he’ll get a bigger slice of pie somewhere else, we’ll see. Right now, it’s difficult to predict what other teams will do and how interested they are in any of our free agents. We are pleased of Jonah for how he played.”
It’s not that the Bengals don’t want to keep Williams, who played well as the starting right tackle in all 17 games. Because he wants to return to left tackle, Williams and his agent will strive for left tackle money in free agency, which he will not receive from Cincinnati if he continues to play right tackle.
There is always the possibility that his market may not grow, forcing him to accept a smaller deal, which could put the Bengals back in play. While Williams may not be a terrific tackle, anyone who watches the NFL today can see that competent offensive linemen are in limited supply throughout the league. So, even an average/above-average tackle like Williams, who is only 26 years old, will be paid well someplace.
Best wishes to Williams as he chases his first large NFL payout since entering the league out of Alabama in the 2019 NFL Draft.
