The Bengals are releasing Kirkpatrick (knee) on Tuesday, Tyler Dragon of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

EDGE Analysis

The writing was on the wall when the Bengals signed both Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander away from the Vikings, getting younger and faster in the secondary. Kirkpatrick never became the shutdown corner the Bengals were hoping for when they drafted him No. 17 overall back in 2012, but he did start 13 or more games in four consecutive seasons from 2015 to 2018. The 30-year-old was limited to six appearances in 2019, eventually landing on injured reserve after he hurt his left knee Oct. 13. The injury was initially reported as a hyperextension, but Kirkpatrick's failure to return later in the season suggests it might have been something more serious.