The Bengals selected Carter in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 119th overall.
An inside linebacker prospect out of Clemson, Carter was a three-year starter in some excellent Tigers defenses. He can read, react and fire into the backfield with at least 9.5 tackles for loss in each of his years as a starter. Carter isn't a standout athlete but has plenty of high-level experience and can be a contributor in the Bengals' linebacking corps, especially as an insurance policy pending what happens with Germaine Pratt as he enters the final year of his deal.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Shemar Stewart: Picked by Cincinnati 17th overall
Rotowire
The Bengals selected Stewart in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 17th overall.
Stewart (6-foot-5, 267 pounds) is an extremely athletic lineman whose rare physical traits have yet to yield much production. The belief is that Stewart's collegiate production at Texas A&M was so badly muted because he played at a much heavier weight (around 290 pounds) and played with too many run-stopping responsibilities to show off his true potential as an edge rusher. At the lighter 267-pound weight, Stewart logged a 4.59-second 40-yard dash in addition to a 40-inch vertical and 131-inch broad jump -- all of which are easily blue-chip figures. If the Bengals move on from Trey Hendrickson, it would seem to set up Stewart to start as a rookie, but Stewart logged only 11 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in three years for the Aggies.
... See More... See Less
Jets' Jay Tufele: Signing with Gang Green
Rotowire
Tufele and the Jets agreed to a contract Thursday, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.
Tufele spent the past three seasons with the Bengals after beginning his NFL career with the Jaguars in 2021. He finished the 2024 regular season with 15 tackles (five solo) including 0.5 sacks, and one pass defense across 15 games (three starts). Tufele fortifies the Jets' defensive line and will have the chance to compete for a starting role at defensive tackle alongside Quinnen Williams (hamstring).
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Cameron Sample: Staying in Cincinnati
Rotowire
The Bengals re-signed Sample to a one-year contract Thursday.
Sample missed the entire 2024 campaign due to a left Achilles tear suffered during the preseason, so re-signing with the club he's played for since entering the NFL as a 2021 fourth-round pick is sensible. The rotational defensive end will work to get healthy and put forth a solid year in 2025 before preparing to hit free agency again.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Marco Wilson: Gets extension with Cincy
Rotowire
Cincinnati signed Wilson to a one-year contract extension Wednesday.
Wilson played in six games with the Bengals in 2024 after he was waived by New England in the middle of the season, and he played just 30 defensive snaps over those six games. He projects to play a minor rotational role in Cincinnati's defensive backfield again in 2025.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Joseph Ossai: Re-signing with Cincinnati
Rotowire
Ossai and the Bengals have agreed to a one-year, $7-million deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
The move comes after the defensive end recorded career highs in defensive snaps (543), tackles (46), sacks (5.0) and forced fumbles (two). It also comes with fellow defensive end Trey Hendrickson on the trade block. Ossai, who missed his rookie season with a meniscus injury, has started just three of the 47 regular-season games he's appeared in over the last three campaigns, but he might have a chance to start in 2025.
... See More... See Less
Cardinals' Akeem Davis-Gaither: Joining Arizona
Rotowire
Davis-Gaither agreed to a two-year, $11-million contract with the Cardinals on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
The linebacker got a multiyear deal after playing on a one-year contract with the Bengals a year ago. In 2024, Davis-Gaither got a chance to start when Logan Wilson went out with a knee injury, and he finished with career highs in tackles (82) and pass breakups (four). He also picked off a pass, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' B.J. Hill: Inks new deal
Rotowire
Hill signed a three-year, $33 million contract with the Bengals on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Hill will stay in Cincinnati, signing a new deal before the start of free agency. The NC State product is coming off another solid campaign, tallying 56 combined tackles, including 3.0 sacks, and four passes defended. Hill will now remain a focal point of the Bengals' defensive interior moving forward.
... See More... See Less
Texans' Sheldon Rankins: Reuniting with Houston
Rotowire
The Texans are slated to sign Rankins (illness) to a one-year, $7 million contract, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports.
Rankins inked a two-year, $24.5 million deal with Cincinnati last offseason, but the Bengals opted to release him after a 2024 campaign in which he missed the first three games of the year due to a hamstring issue and the final seven contests due to an illness. Now healthy, the 30-year-old run stopper will shore up Houston's defensive line, which could lose both Mario Edwards and Folorunso Fatukasi to free agency.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Trey Hendrickson: Gets permission to seek trade
Rotowire
The Bengals informed Henderson on Thursday that he may seek a trade, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Hendrickson, who is currently entering the final year of his deal with Cincinnati, led the NFL with 17.5 sacks in 2024 and will doubtless command a sizeable trade market from teams in need of a premier edge rusher. While the Bengals have faced pressure, including from quarterback Joe Burrow, to work out long-term deals with all of Hendrickson, Tee Higgins (who received the franchise tag) and Ja'Marr Chase (who is set to play out 2025 on his fifth-year option), the team is at least open to moving on from the 30-year-old All-Pro. Hendrickson has 35 sacks over the past two seasons and is doubtless vying for a new contract extension with a total value matching the other top playmakers at his position.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Sam Hubbard: Hanging up cleats
Rotowire
Hubbard (knee) announced Wednesday via social media that he has retired from the NFL.
In a surprising move, Hubbard will bring an end to his career after spending all seven of his professional seasons in Cincinnati. The 29-year-old defensive end sustained a PCL injury and missed Cincinnati's final three games of the 2024 season, but he was relatively unproductive while on the field. In 14 games, Hubbard posted 41 total tackles, the lowest mark since his rookie year in 2018. The Ohio State product ends his career having accumulated 38.5 sacks and 398 total tackles over 104 games during the regular season.
... See More... See Less
Sheldon Rankins: Let go by Cincinnati
Rotowire
The Bengals released Rankins (illness) on Friday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
An illness prevented Rankins from practicing or playing since Week 10, and he ended the season on the reserve/non-football illness list. He started in seven games for the Bengals last season and finished with 10 tackles (eight solo), including 1.0 sacks. It's unclear if his illness will linger into the offseason, but once fully healthy, Rankins will be on the lookout for a team in need of veteran depth on the defensive line.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Germaine Pratt: Makes trade request
Rotowire
Pratt informed the Bengals on Wednesday of his request to be traded, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Pratt, a longtime linchpin of Cincinnati's linebacker corps, led the team with a career-high 143 tackles (80 solo) to go with two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries across 17 appearances in 2024. The Bengals' decision to shift from Lou Anarumo to Al Golden at defensive coordinator foreshadowed a potential parting of ways with Pratt, who ought to have a fair trade market heading into his age-29 season. If Pratt is able to achieve a favorable landing spot, he boasts the experience and skill set to remain a notable fantasy contributor in IDP formats.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' McKinnley Jackson: Ramps up in rookie season
Rotowire
Jackson finished the 2024 regular season with 15 tackles (six solo), including 1.0 sacks, and one forced fumble across 13 games.
Jackson was the Bengals' third-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he started the regular season on injured reserve due to a right knee sprain that he suffered during training camp. He made his NFL regular-season debut in Week 5 against the Ravens but didn't register his first tackle until Week 8 against the Eagles, and his lone sack came against Dorian Thompson-Robinson and the Browns in Week 16. Jackson didn't play more than 30 defensive snaps in a game this season, but he and fellow rookie Kris Jenkins could be the Bengals' starting defensive tackles in 2025 if B.J. Hill opts to sign with another team during the offseason.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Myles Murphy: Fails to record any sacks in 2024
Rotowire
Murphy finished the 2024 season with 20 tackles (11 solo) and one pass breakup across 13 games with Cincinnati.
Selected No. 28 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, Murphy has been a massive disappointment through two seasons with the Bengals. After recording 3.0 sacks in 17 appearances as a rookie, Murphy didn't claim a starting gig off the edge in his second season and failed to take down the quarterback a single time, accruing just four QB hits total across 353 defensive snaps. Murphy needs to take multiple steps forward in 2025. The Bengals are starved for pass rushers behind Trey Hendrickson, who led the NFL with 17.5 sacks, accounting for over 48 percent of Cincinnati's team total of 36 sacks. Hendrickson is now scheduled to hit free agency in March.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Kris Jenkins: Records 3.0 sacks in rookie season
Rotowire
Jenkins played in 15 regular-season games in 2024 and finished with 31 tackles (10 solo), including 3.0 sacks.
Jenkins was selected by the Bengals in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 49th overall. He missed the first two games of the regular season after undergoing a procedure on his thumb, but he was able to make his NFL regular-season debut against the Commanders in Week 3. He logged his first NFL sack in Week 9 against the Raiders, and he had arguably his best game in Week 16 against the Browns when he registered 2.0 sacks on Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Jenkins could join fellow rookie McKinnley Jackson as the Bengals' starting defensive tackles in 2025 if veteran B.J. Hill opts to leave in free agency.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' DJ Turner: Appears in 11 games in 2024
Rotowire
Turner (collarbone) finished the 2024 season with 29 tackles (24 solo) and eight pass breakups across 11 games with Cincinnati.
The No. 60 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, Turner started six of the 11 games in which he appeared but missed the final six contests with a broken collarbone, which landed him on injured reserve. He took over as an every-down outside cornerback in Week 5 and held the position until his injury in Week 11. It's unclear what the Bengals' plans are at cornerback going into 2025, but this defense needs upgrades at all three levels after the team allowed the fourth-most passing touchdowns in the NFL, leading to the firing of DC Lou Anarumo.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Josh Newton: Six starts in rookie season
Rotowire
Newton finished the 2024 regular season with 31 tackles (27 solo) and seven pass defenses (including one interception) across 17 games.
The rookie fifth-round pick mostly contributed on special teams in the first half of the regular season, but he was inserted into the first-team defense following the Bengals' Week 12 bye after DJ Turner broke his collarbone against the Chargers in Week 11. Newton logged 23 tackles (21 solo) and five pass defenses across his six starts, also registering his first career interception in Week 14 against the Titans. Newton should have the opportunity to compete against Turner, Dax Hill (knee) and Cam Taylor-Britt for a starting spot at outside corner during training camp in the summer.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Sam Hubbard: Just 2.0 sacks during 2024
Rotowire
Hubbard (knee) finished the 2024 season with 41 tackles (25 solo), including 2.0 sacks, two pass breakups, including one interception, one forced fumble and one safety across 14 games with Cincinnati.
Hubbard's 2.0 sacks, three total tackles for loss and nine total QB hits were all career lows for the 29-year-old. He missed the final three games of the season with a PCL injury in his knee. Hubbard is signed through 2025 but is slated for a raise to $9 million next season, a number that may prove to be too high considering the Bengals will be looking to pay Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and possibly Trey Hendrickson. That, coupled with Hubbard's dip in production, could make him a candidate for release.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Joseph Ossai: Career year in 2024
Rotowire
Ossai tallied 46 total tackles, including 5.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and one pass defended across 17 games in 2024.
The third-year defensive end from Texas saw a significant increase in playing time in 2024, logging 225 more defensive snaps than his previous career high (318) and setting new personal bests in tackles, sacks, and forced fumbles in a single season. Ossai made the first three starts of his career from Weeks 16 through 18, filling in for the injured Sam Hubbard (knee) and recording 14 total tackles, including 2.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and one pass defended during that stretch. He just completed the final season of his rookie contract and is now set to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason. Ossai is likely to secure a starting role or a key spot in a team's pass-rush rotation following his strong performances as a starter in 2024.
