Looks like the Bengals are going to be replacing key players on multiple levels.
Decipher cryptic post on Twitter season is upon us, and next up to bat is Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton.
Monday, just before noon, he posted, “Better opportunities always present themselves” followed by a praying hands emoji. Hilton is an unrestricted free agent following the 2024 season, and it appears as if he knows 2024 was his final season in stripes.
Hilton signed a four-year, $24 million deal with the Bengals in March of 2021, joining a loaded free agency haul that included Trey Hendrickson, Chidobe Awuzie, Larry Ogunjobi and Riley Reiff. He immediately helped bring Lou Anarumo’s defensive vision to life as the team’s slot/nickel corner, reprising the role he played with the Steelers.
He may not have always been the most reliable corner in coverage, but he has been the best in-the-box corner in the league throughout his time in Cincinnati. Often acting as an extra linebacker, he helped the Bengals defend against the run and rush the passer. In the playoffs in 2021, he had a handful of key plays that helped the team get through a close game in Nashville against the No. 1 seed Tennessee Titans, on their way to the first of two consecutive AFC Championship games.
Hilton will join BJ Hill, Akeem Davis-Gaither, Joseph Ossai, and Cam Sample as unrestricted free agents from the Bengals’ 2024 defense and will be another key Anarumo disciple Al Golden will need to replace to give Zac Taylor a respectable defense in 2025. He has Cam Taylor-Britt, who regressed in 2024, and DJ Turner, as well as Dax Hill, both of whom were injured. He’ll also have Josh Newton and DJ Ivey to work with, but that’s not going to be enough.
Free agency officially opens on March 12, and the Bengals have a ton of needs on the defensive side of the ball. They’re not going to be able to address every need in the draft, and the only way they’ll be able to field a competent defense to pair with their championship-caliber offense is to spend money.
Unfortunately, it seems that money won’t be spent on keeping Hilton in Cincinnati any longer.
Do you think this is the right move?
Sound off.
New opportunities always present themselves
— Mike Hilton (@MikeHilton_28) March 3, 2025
