Bengals free agent caught in tug-of-war with Broncos

The Cincinnati Bengals lost a key free agent to the Denver Broncos on Wednesday night. Until they didn’t. Said free agent is safety Tycen Anderson, who isn't a household name, but is an integral part of the special teams play for Darrin Simmons in Cincinnati.

Anderson reportedly signed a one year deal with the Broncos late Wednesday, according to Local 12’s Yanni Tragellis and others. Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post later followed up with a report of his own, saying there is no agreement: “Not impossible — safety depth and special teams is a Denver need generally speaking — but one source said a deal between the sides is ‘nowhere close. ’” It would be shocking to see the Bengals lose Anderson, a fifth-round pick in 2022 who has blossomed into a key contributor on special teams.

He’s quality depth at what has been a rough position for the Bengals since Jessie Bates left, too. Considering Anderson only has a projected market of $1. 8 million per year, the Bengals letting him get away would be surprising…but neither is the interest from other teams.

Losing Anderson would quietly create a pretty big need for the Bengals, so this saga is suddenly one to watch. This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals free agent caught in tug-of-war with Broncos