Bengals sign ex-Patriots offensive tackle Trent Brown to 1-year deal

Cincinnati had the veteran free agent in for a visit on Tuesday.

The New England Patriots will have a new starting left tackle in 2024.

Trent Brown’s visit with the Cincinnati Bengals has given way to a one-year deal, as reported Tuesday by NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport and later confirmed by the organization.

Brown, 30, saw his contract with New England void without an extension in February, leaving $2.04 million in signing bonus proration behind. The Super Bowl LIII champion became an unrestricted free agent as the new league year opened and flew to Cincinnati on Monday night.

The move to the AFC North will see the 6-foot-8 bookend pair with Orlando Brown Jr. after Jonah Williams departed from quarterback Joe Burrow’s protection last week.

“Just the pieces that are already in place,” Brown said during his introductory video conference. “I feel like it’s a plug-and-play situation and a chance to go win.”

Last September, Brown had $2 million in incentives added to his Patriots contract. But the 2023 season came to a close after 11 appearances while battling knee, ankle, chest and hand injuries in addition to an illness. He made his final start as the calendar turned to December and finished having played 55 percent of the offensive snaps.

Entering the NFL in the seventh round of the 2015 draft, Brown’s career has spanned 104 games and 97 starts, counting playoffs. The product of Georgia Military College and the University of Florida initially landed in Foxborough through a trade with the San Francisco 49ers in 2018. He returned through another with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021. In between arrived his first Pro Bowl selection.

New England tendered Tyrone Wheatley Jr. and added Chukwuma Okorafor to the tackle depth chart before the official start of free agency. Following their one-year agreements, the club re-signed starter Mike Onwenu on a three-year, $57 million pact.

The position also includes Vederian Lowe, Conor McDermott, Calvin Anderson and Andrew Stueber under contract.