The Bengals have re-signed DT BJ Hill to a 3 year/$33M deal. Adam Schefter is reporting that the deal includes $16M in guaranteed money.
Hill first joined the Bengals in 2021, when they acquired him in a trade with the New York Giants, sending Billy Price the other way. Since the trade, Hill has gone on to be a solid member of the defence. He isn’t flashy, but there is a sense of reliability when he is on the field, as he is steady both as a pass rusher and run defender.
In 4 seasons with the Bengals, he has racked up 16 sacks. As well, he has shown that he can step up his game in big moments, and was a key part of both playoff runs between 2021 and 2022.
Still, despite his consistently solid play, it is fair to wish that the ceiling for him was a bit higher. He doesn’t make many mistakes, but there are some instances where he can disappear, and others where he can fail to convert pressure into a sack.
As far as the contract goes, the total dollar value and the term may seem a bigger commitment than it is in actuality. With an AAV of $11M and just $16M in guaranteed money, it is a deal that the Bengals would be able to move on from after year 1, without hurting too much. There would be some dead money, but nothing too significant enough that they couldn’t do it if they really wanted to.
With other intriguing DT’s on the market, like Jonathan Allen and Calais Campbell, among others, the likelihood is that the Bengals will still be adding to the position. After all, last offseason, Sheldon Rankins was a big addition (that unfortunately didn’t work out) and the idea was to have him rotating with Hill. Now that Hill is back under contract, the search for that next puzzle piece continues.
