Bengals rookie now has a choice to make after being selected in the 2024 UFL Draft

Quarterback Rocky Lombardi went unselected during the 2024 NFL Draft before the Cincinnati Bengals signed him as a college free agent. But he didn't go undrafted in the UFL Draft.

With the sixth pick in the fifth round of the 2024 UFL Draft, the Michigan Panthers selected Lombardi. He was the fifth QB taken in the 10-round draft, and the only Bengals player selected.

Lombardi originally joined the Bengals as a UDFA back in the spring following a seven-year collegiate career. His first four years in college were spent at Michigan State, where he started a total of nine games. COVID eligibility and a medical redshirt helped Lombardi get three more years out of college at Northern Illinois, where he had much more statistical success. After starting 29 games at NIU, Lombardi finished his career ranked second in program history in passing yards per game, and third in completions per game.

Now that the 25-year old has been drafted by the UFL, he has options as to where he wants to go from here.

Will the Bengals be able to keep Lombardi?

Once a player is drafted by a UFL team, the club holds the rights to players they select until they either report to the team or the team gives up the player's rights. All draftees who sign a UFL contract will have an "NFL Out" clause up until December 31, 2024.

In short, Lombardi doesn't have to pack his bags for Michigan if he doesn't want to, but the Panthers do own his player rights. He's already signed a three-year college free agent deal with the Bengals that will pay him $795,000 if he's kept on the roster for the entire season . He also earned a $10,000 signing bonus.

The average UFL salary is significantly smaller than that, but Lombardi might opt to leave Cincinnati for a chance at actually playing.

Lombardi will be competing to stick around with the Bengals any way he can. He's not going to beat out Jake Browning for Joe Burrow's backup gig, and it would be unlikely for the team to keep three quarterbacks on the active roster unless injuries force the issue. Lombardi's best chance is to secure a practice squad spot over Logan Woodside.

A practice squad salary is decent money compared to the UFL, but again, if Lombardi wants actual game experience, going to the UFL would be the obvious choice. It's why the Bengals released AJ McCarron back in February so he could return to the St. Louis Battlehawks .

Lombardi could look to develop his game at the NFL level, or develop on the field in the UFL. The choice is ultimately up to him.

Related: Former Bengals quarterback AJ McCarron ends up on the winning side of a record-setting UFL game