“I can see that, but no, not at all, especially since I’m a big believer in God,” Ossai said. “No, nothing, no need to be nervous, no need to be anxious. His plan is His plan, so at the end of the day, I will have a job next year. That’s all I care about, man. Put the ball down, let’s go.”

Ossai said he would love to return, and he’s “sure it’ll work out,” but he will let his agent and the organization take care of the business side, and wherever he lands, he’s ready to get to work.

Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said improving the pass rush is a big priority this offseason; however, it’s unclear yet whether Ossai fits into that plan. Ossai hopes so, because “this is home.”

“I don’t know about fit, and I can’t speak to all that, but all I know is I love the guys in this locker room, and I love playing for (defensive coordinator) Al (Golden) and I love playing for (head coach) Zac (Taylor), and I love playing for J Mo (defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery),” Ossai said. “So, I think based off that, I would want to come back.”

The Bengals gave Ossai another chance to prove himself this past season after he recorded five sacks in the final seven games of 2024. He had mainly filled a rotational role his first three years on the field, after missing his rookie year due to a preseason knee injury, but after the departure of Sam Hubbard, Ossai finally had a chance to establish himself in a starting job.

When Trey Hendrickson suffered a hip and pelvis injury and was shelved for the remainder in Week 8, Ossai had an even greater opportunity to show himself in what he said is his most natural spot on the right side.

“It was great,” Ossai said. “I favor that side a bit, but I’m not going to speak to it ‘unlocking this and that,’ because that brings up the fact that he wasn’t there and I don’t like to talk about that, but it was great to be over there predominantly, I would say.”

Hendrickson also is set to head into free agency after being unable to come to an agreement with the Bengals this past year on an extension. It’s possible Cincinnati could use the franchise tag on him, but after he held out of offseason workouts and training camp before finally agreeing to a raise for 2025, it might be best for all parties to move on.

Ossai said Hendrickson’s absence made a huge impact on the defense, though he was proud of how others stepped up to try to fill the void. Myles Murphy, for example, went from zero sacks in 2024 to a team-high 5.5 sacks in 2025.

“It is tough when you lose a guy like that and the impact he makes and the impact he has on a defense, any defense, it’s tough,” Ossai said. “But I think we did a good job of rallying as a D-line and playing with each other and leaning on each other in hopes of filling that hole. But anyone who’s played against him or played with him knows it’s a massive hole that’s gone in a defense when he’s not on it. So I think I’m giving props to the whole D-line for rallying around each other and leaning on each other and trying to be impactful still without him.”

Ossai had just 4.5 sacks combined in 2022 and 2023, before back-to-back seasons with 5.0 sacks. He produced 12 more pressures this season than last in three fewer games.

That wasn’t just the result of more opportunity, Ossai said.

“A lot of variables,” Ossai said. “I’d say coaching, J Mo, me being more comfortable in the role I was playing and more confident in the role I was playing. Year 5, going in and just being asked to do different things, as in, be a leader for the team. So, a bunch of different things, and there’s no way to pinpoint which one it was that really got me there, but all those things I would say are the reasons.”

Ossai potentially put himself in position to earn a big payday with his next contract. That could be another factor in whether the Bengals bring him back, but Ossai downplayed the money side of the negotiating process.

“I think I did all right for myself,” Ossai said. “I’m very critical of myself, so there’s definitely a lot more that I wanted to do, a lot more I could have done. Easier said than done, obviously, but that will happen. Whatever it is, like I said, I’m lucky that we get paid so much to do what we do. This is fun for me. This is what I dream about. This is what it’s about when we’re in offseason, when we’re not playing for so long, so whatever, if they give me five bucks, I’m good. You know what I’m saying? … I’ll get a little more than that, but whatever they give me, I’m happy with, so we’ll see.”