Mike Hilton may not be out of work for long, and he may be back in the Charm City too.
The recently released defensive back could find a soft landing spot with the Cincinnati Bengals after Hilton was let go by the Miami Dolphins on Monday.
Hilton spent the past four seasons with the Bengals before signing a one-year contract with Miami very late in training camp after the Dolphins traded cornerback Jalen Ramsey to Pittsburgh.
In 123 NFL games with the Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers, Hilton has 520 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 13 interceptions and one touchdown.
Why Should The Bengals Sign Mike Hilton?
Aside from the familiarity — signing a player who can learn the scheme this late in the preseason is really hard — the 31-year-old showed no sign of slowing down last year, especially against the run.
Hilton had 73 tackles, tied a career high with 12 tackles for loss, had five passes defended and one interception in 16 games, and 10 starts, a season ago.
He ranked 24th among 222 cornerbacks for overall grade from Pro-Football Focus (75.8) and was No. 1 among cornerbacks for run grade (91.7), plus he is just one year removed from setting a career high in tackles (84) for the Bengals.
The Bengals ranked 19th in the NFL in rushing-yards against per game (124.8), and even though Hilton was a part of that team, bringing him back could help from a further regression.
Yet, according to Chris Roling of Bengals Wire, Hilton’s allure can be his ability to play corner and safety and provide depth at safety behind starters Jordan Battle and Geno Stone.
“Hilton, now 31, spent 2021-2024 with the Bengals, and at the tail end of his tenure, got some work at safety as he started to slow down and the Bengals went with younger prospects at corner,” Roling wrote. “It feels like an obvious thing for both sides to consider, at least.”
Daljahn Anthony and Tycen Anderson are slated to be the backup, but neither has played particularly nor has a proven history. With the Super Bowl the goal, and Cincinnati ponying up to pay All-Pro EDGE Trey Hendrickson on Monday, bringing in a friendly face that can still pay, and will come cheap, behooves everyone.
“Given the Bengalsâ obvious discomfort with the safety room right now, that could mean both parties consider getting back together,” Roling wrote.
Could The Bengals Sign A Cornerback?
Making trades aren’t exactly in the Bengals’ DNA, and they had all off-season to sign Hilton to a contract and did not, even though he was one of the most talented defensive backs available.
That could speak to their reluctance to bring him back, though every team loves their roster until they see it in action.
So, even though a reunion with Hilton makes sense for both sides, there are going to be hundreds of talented players released when teams are required to get their roster down to 53 players Tuesday. It’s entirely possible a more talented DB crosses Cincinnati’s path, and it plucks him off waivers, or it prefers to sign a different defensive back ahead of Week 1.
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