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ARLINGTON, TEXAS – DECEMBER 29: Xavier Johnson #0 of the Ohio State Buckeyes catches a pass against Kris Abrams-Draine #7 of the Missouri Tigers during the third quarter in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium on December 29, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

The Bengals have added a local product to their practice squad, signing wide receiver Xavier Johnson.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Johnson is a Cincinnati native and went to nearby Ohio State, where he went undrafted out of 2024.

Johnson signed with the Bills following the draft and spent his entire rookie season on the Texans’ practice squad without accumulating any NFL stats.

 

Bengals Dealing With Injuries at Receiver

After spending the majority of his offseason with Houston, Johnson, 26, was placed on injured reserve because of a broken hand and subsequently waived with an injury designation before the start of the regular season.

Now seemingly healthy for the first time since the summer, Johnson will look to carve out a complementary role at wide receiver for the 4-9 Bengals.

Tee Higgins was ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Ravens with a concussion, leaving little depth at the position behind Ja’Marr Chase, Andrei Iosivas and Charlie Jones. Jermaine Burton, a 2024 third-round pick, was released on Monday after being suspended ahead of the team’s 39-34 loss to the Bills.

Following his first practice with his new team, Johnson called playing for the Bengals “surreal.”

“The opportunity is a blessing,” he said, via Bengals on SI. “Just to be in the NFL, let alone play for the team you grew up cheering on.”

He added: “I’m coming in here with the mindset of intentionality, the purpose of getting better. I’m gonna come in here and play my role and practice as hard as I can.”

 

Johnson Began College Career as a Walk-On

Johnson began his college career as a running back before converting to receiver. In five seasons at Ohio State, including three as a receiver, he caught 26 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns in addition to rushing for 353 yards and a score on 44 carries.

He initially joined the Buckeyes as a walk-on after attending Summit Country Day School in Cincinnati.

Douglas Bonjour is a breaking news contributor covering the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and WNBA for Heavy. He is also a contributing writer for The Associated Press and has worked for Point Spreads, the Connecticut Post and Hearst Connecticut Media as a reporter and editor. More about Douglas Bonjour

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