The Cincinnati Bengals made the obvious move recently by picking up the fifth-year option on Dax Hill, which checks in at roughly $12.8 million in 2026.
What isn’t so obvious, though, is how Hill’s position change plays out on the field.
Hence, Hill being spotlighted by ESPN’s Ben Solak as one of the most interesting players returning from injured reserve in 2025:
“Hill has started the majority of his career at safety but wasn’t great there. It appeared he could have transitioned well to corner in 2024, but he played only five games and was still working through the warts. There’s smoke now that he might be the new nickelback since Mike Hilton remains unsigned.”
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So far, OTAs work has featured Bengals cornerbacks playing all over Al Golden’s defense, with even Cam Taylor-Britt getting looks in the slot.
Still, that’s early work where the team will try new looks and improve overall versatility in the secondary, if possible. Hill likely figures to line up on the boundary after his brief pre-injury audition last year had him looking like the best cornerback on the depth chart after moving over from safety.
No matter how they line up, Hill, Taylor-Britt and DJ Turner, plus sophomore Josh Newton, remain key pieces of the Bengals’ future in the defensive secondary.
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