Bengals to release 8-time Pro Bowler Atkins

The Cincinnati Bengals are cutting eight-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Geno Atkins, head coach Zac Taylor said Friday, according to ESPN's Ben Baby.

The move saves the Bengals $11.7 million and clears $9.5 million off the cap while absorbing $5.2 million in dead money to account for a pre-paid signing bonus.

Atkins spent 11 seasons in Cincinnati and was perennially one of the NFL's top interior defensive linemen over that time. A reduced role last campaign foreshadowed Atkins' unceremonious departure, finishing 2020 with just one tackle across eight appearances.

The Bengals will move forward with D.J. Reader and Larry Ogunjobi anchoring the middle of their defensive line while Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard flank them on the edges. Ogunjobi and Hendrickson joined Cincinnati in free agency, while Reader signed as a free agent last year.

Atkins, meanwhile, will look to latch with a new team after registering 100 tackles for a loss and 75.5 sacks over 161 career contests with the Bengals. His sack total ranks second in franchise history, trailing only Carlos Dunlap, who is also a free agent.

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