Bengals Waive DE Tarell Basham

The Bengals brought in Tarell Basham to compete for a depth role, but they have moved on days before roster cutdowns. The veteran defensive end was waived on Friday, per a team announcement.

Basham signed with Cincinnati during the second wave of free agency, a move which saw him add further to his journeyman status. The 29-year-old has seen time with the Colts, Jets, Cowboys and Titans, splitting time between the latter two clubs in 2022. Basham joined the Bengals in the hopes of securing a rotational role behind Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard on the edge.

That goal was interrupted by an injury on the opening day of training camp, as noted by The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. (Twitter link). As a result, Basham fell behind other pass-rush contenders such as Joseph Ossai, Cam Sample and first-round rookie Myles Murphy for a roster spot. Presuming he goes unclaimed, Basham will now seek out another new home in the midst of impending roster cuts.

The former third-rounder played 42 of his 82 career games (and made 12 of his 18 starts) during his time in New York. He registered 3.5 sacks with the Jets in 2020, and matched that total the following year with the Cowboys. Dallas’ depth on the edge led to the team’s decision to move on from him midseason, however, which opened the door to a five-game stint in Tennessee to finish the campaign. Basham logged a notable 41% snap share with the Titans, but that did not translate to statistical success.

A smaller workload likely awaits the Ohio alum upon arrival with his next team. Basham will look for another new gig as squads sort out final roster decisions in the coming days, while the Bengals will move forward with their remaining edge rush contingent, a group which will look to improve on the team’s poor showing in the sack department (30) last season.