We have released DT Sheldon Rankins.
Read more → https://t.co/XSGBzDMZmm
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) February 21, 2025
There have been quite a few moving parts with former New Orleans Saints players throughout the past few offseasons, with some working out and some not so much. Another player has been added to the list of free agents, as former Saints defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins was released by the Cincinnati Bengals, the team announced.
Rankins left the Saints back in the 2021 offseason signing a two-year deal with the New York Jets, which he played out. He would then sign with the Houston Texans for 2023, and then the Cincinnati Bengals on a two-year deal for 2024 and 2025. Unfortunately, he dealt with viral meningitis for the latter half of the season and would miss all but seven games due to it.
In his seven games started this season, he had 18 total tackles (10 solo, 8 assisted), 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss, 2 pressures, and 3 missed tackles (14.3% missed tackle rate). He played a substantial amount of time as well, receiving 60% of defensive snaps and 9% of special teams snaps in the games he played.
Now Rankins will look to recover from his ailment if he has not already gotten to a good point in doing so, and will be looking for a new team entering the 2025 season. Given he has plenty of time to do so as he was released prior to the signing period opening, he will most definitely have the opportunity to find a new squad and hopefully will land somewhere that will give him a quality opportunity. The Saints could use another defensive tackle, and given his experience with the team, maybe they bring him in as a veteran presence and see what he can bring to the table.