The Cincinnati Bengals made a quiet but significant move this week, waiving tight end Kole Taylor as the team continues to refine its roster heading into the heart of training camp. While the announcement may not grab national headlines in the same way a blockbuster trade or a franchise quarterback injury might, the release of Taylor is a telling piece of a broader puzzle that reflects not just the Bengals’ plans for the tight end position, but their overall organizational strategy and direction going into the 2025 NFL season.
Kole Taylor, a former standout at LSU and later West Virginia, was brought into Cincinnati as a developmental prospect. Standing at 6-foot-7 with a lanky but athletic frame, he had intrigued scouts with his catch radius and red-zone potential. The Bengals had hoped that with time in their system, Taylor could carve out a niche as a mismatch nightmare for linebackers and safeties. But as is often the case in the NFL, talent alone does not guarantee a spot on a 53-man roster—particularly on a team with championship aspirations and limited patience for long-term experiments.
Taylor’s journey through college football was anything but linear. He began at LSU, where he was often buried on the depth chart behind more heralded tight end recruits. Despite flashes of potential—including a memorable go-ahead touchdown catch against Florida in 2020—he was never fully able to seize a starting role. After transferring to West Virginia in search of more playing time and a fresh start, he showed improved production and became a bigger piece of the Mountaineers’ offensive puzzle. Still, he entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent, a status that meant every snap, every rep, and every impression would be scrutinized more than that of a high draft pick.
When the Bengals brought him in during the offseason, the tight end room was already crowded. Veteran Irv Smith Jr. was re-signed to a one-year deal as a potential bridge option. Draft picks from previous years, including the developing Tanner Hudson and the returning Drew Sample, continued to hold key depth spots. Add to that the emergence of promising undrafted rookies and the unexpected rise of practice squad players pushing for roster spots, and Taylor found himself in an uphill battle from day one.
It wasn’t that he performed poorly in minicamps or the early stages of training camp. By most reports, he showed strong hands and a willingness to block, traits that are critical in head coach Zac Taylor’s system. However, those brief moments of effectiveness were inconsistent, and at the NFL level, inconsistency is often a death sentence for fringe roster players. In preseason meetings, Taylor occasionally flashed in red zone drills, where his size allowed him to box out defenders, but other times he struggled with route running fluidity and leverage in blocking against faster, more physical defenders.
The Bengals’ coaching staff values versatility and reliability, especially from their tight ends. They are expected not just to catch passes, but to be proficient in pass protection and run blocking, especially with quarterback Joe Burrow recovering from an offseason wrist surgery that still casts a shadow over the franchise’s hopes. Any lapse in protection or mistimed route could be more costly than ever this year. In that context, Kole Taylor’s release makes more sense—he simply didn’t meet the standard required in all facets of the position.
Another factor that cannot be ignored is Cincinnati’s depth at other offensive skill positions. With Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins (despite the lingering contract drama), and Tyler Boyd returning, and rookies like Jermaine Burton showing flashes, the Bengals are expected to use more three-wide receiver sets again in 2025. That shift further devalues the need for multiple active tight ends. If only one or two are going to see meaningful snaps per game, the room gets very small, very fast.
The Bengals also made it clear through their offseason acquisitions that they were planning for a more dynamic offense that doesn’t heavily lean on traditional in-line tight ends. They flirted with the idea of using more hybrid players—receivers with the size to block and tight ends with the agility to line up in the slot. This hybridization of offensive roles is part of a league-wide trend that favors mismatch creators over pure positional prototypes. Unfortunately for Taylor, he didn’t fully embody either mold.
There’s also the business side of the NFL to consider. Waiving Taylor now gives the Bengals an opportunity to open up a roster spot for another position of need, perhaps a backup cornerback or linebacker who can contribute on special teams. During the preseason, roster flexibility is key. Injuries are inevitable, and having the ability to shift players in and out of camp rosters quickly is an underrated component of successful team-building. Taylor’s contract was not guaranteed, and his release carries little to no cap implication, making it a low-risk move for the front office.
Still, this doesn’t have to be the end of Taylor’s professional journey. Many players have been waived early in their careers only to resurface elsewhere in the league. His physical tools are rare, and while raw, they remain intriguing to scouts and position coaches across the NFL. Teams in need of developmental depth, particularly those that run more two-tight end sets or emphasize height in the red zone, may take a flyer on him. At the very least, he’s likely to receive a practice squad invite somewhere, either in Cincinnati again if no one claims him or elsewhere.
Beyond the transactional details, this move is a small glimpse into the larger reality of life in the NFL. The league is a churning machine where opportunities are limited, and windows to impress are short. For every star that makes headlines, there are dozens of players like Kole Taylor grinding in obscurity, one rep away from making a name for themselves—or from being told to clean out their locker. It’s a sobering reminder of the business side of the sport, where fit, timing, and health often matter as much as talent.
In the Bengals’ locker room, the focus now shifts to those who remain. With Taylor out, reps open up for others. A player like Tanner Hudson, who has been in the league for a few years and continues to hover around the edge of rosters, now gets more chances to show he can be a consistent second or third option. Or perhaps this opens the door for a surprise camp standout, someone previously off the radar, to rise into a legitimate role. This is how rosters are built—not just through the first 11 players on each side of the ball, but through the constant recalibration of the bottom 10 or 15 names on the depth chart.
There’s also the human side of this story. Taylor, like every player who gets waived, now faces a moment of uncertainty. For some, it’s a humbling moment that spurs reinvention—a chance to go back, watch tape, and find out what went wrong and how to improve. For others, it’s a gut punch that signals the beginning of the end. Only Taylor knows how he’ll respond, but if history tells us anything, it’s that the players who succeed in these situations are the ones who embrace the grind and refuse to let the league’s brutal churn define them.
In the days to come, Taylor will likely go unclaimed on waivers. If that happens, the Bengals may circle back and offer him a chance to remain with the organization on the practice squad, where he can continue to develop away from the spotlight. It’s not glamorous, but it’s a path that many eventual contributors have taken. Alternatively, a tight-end needy team like the Texans, Titans, or Buccaneers may offer him a fresh opportunity. His future in the league now depends not only on his own perseverance but also on scheme fits, injuries elsewhere, and just a bit of luck.
As for the Bengals, this move won’t shift betting odds or spark national debates, but it reflects the kind of surgical roster decisions that define successful franchises. By making tough choices early, rather than clinging to long-shot bets too long, Cincinnati is signaling they’re laser-focused on making another deep playoff run. Joe Burrow’s window is now. Ja’Marr Chase’s extension looms. The AFC is a minefield. There’s no room for sentimentality.
Kole Taylor’s time with the Bengals was brief, but that doesn’t mean it was meaningless. He got a look, a chance, a foot in the door. And in the NFL, sometimes that’s all it takes. For now, the Bengals move on without him, their focus narrowed, their mission unchanged. And somewhere, Taylor begins the next chapter of his football journey, wherever that may be.
