BJ Finney is back in the AFC North. The Cincinnati Bengals acquired him in a trade Wednesday morning that sent veteran DE Carlos Dunlap to the Seattle Seahawks. In return, the Bengals picked up Finney and a 7th round draft pick.
Finney signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Seahawks in late March. But things didn’t work out. Finney failed to win the starting job and hadn’t played a single snap all season leading Pete Carroll to quickly move on and add a defensive piece. Dunlap was disgruntled in Cincinnati after being taken out of the starting lineup and made it clear he wanted out. He had been with the team since 2010 and always played well against Pittsburgh, recording 17 QB hits, 8 pass deflections, and 4.5 sacks against the Steelers.
Undrafted and signed by the Steelers in 2015, Finney played well for his favorite team growing up. He hade 13 career starts, seeing time at center and guard. The Bengals’ offensive line has again been a mess and Finney may end up seeing snaps sooner than later. Pittsburgh will play Cincinnati in Week 10 with a rematch set for Monday night during Week 15.
