NFL Rumors: Trent Brown, Bengals Agree to 1-Year Contract in 2024 Free Agency

The Cincinnati Bengals are expected to sign offensive tackle Trent Brown to a one-year deal, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Brown was limited to 11 games with the New England Patriots in 2023 thanks in part to injuries, and his commitment was called into question at times as well. When healthy and dialed in, the 30-year-old performed at a high level.

The 2019 Pro Bowler was 19th overall in Bleacher Report's rankings of this year's free agents.

"A dependable pass protector, Brown can anchor either side of the line if needed, and his versatility puts him at the top of an underwhelming overall class," his scouting report read.

That Brown ultimately will only sign for one year seems to reflect a level of skepticism about his value on the field.

In a broad postmortem for New England's season, the Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan and Doug Kyed wrote at one point in the year Brown "had his mind on free agency" after having battled through knee and ankle issues. He reportedly also "openly discussed" with teammates the idea of signing with an NFC team.

Brown, for his part, expressed to Callahan and Kyed a level of frustration with how head coach Bill Belichick handled the offensive line after the unit's coach, Adrian Klemm, took a leave of absence for health reasons.

A short-term deal is a worthwhile gamble for the Bengals. They get immediate help along the offensive front, with Brown lining up opposite left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. The move may not preclude them from identifying a more permanent solution in the draft, either.

Brown, meanwhile, can play his way into a larger payday next offseason if he helps to keep quarterback Joe Burrow upright as Cincinnati mounts a playoff charge.