B.j. Hill

Career StatsC+

Year	Team	GP	Sacks	Tkl	TFL
Career		129	27.5	407	31
2025		17	4.0	66	2
2024		15	3.0	56	9.5
2023		17

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

This B.j. Hill extension represents a fair deal that slightly favors Cincinnati, locking up reliable interior production at market rate. The Bengals secured a solid starter at defensive tackle for $11M AAV — reasonable compensation for a player who has consistently delivered above-average run defense and steady pass rush from the interior. At 29, Hill is entering his prime years for a defensive tackle, making this three-year window ideal for maximizing his impact while avoiding the steep decline that typically hits interior linemen in their early thirties. The contract structure is conservative with $11M guaranteed in a $33M deal, giving Cincinnati manageable risk if Hill's production dips while rewarding him for his steady contributions since arriving from the Giants. This C+ CVI reflects a sensible move by the Bengals to retain a dependable piece of their defensive front without breaking the bank or creating long-term salary cap concerns.

Performance Analysis

B.J. Hill is an eight-year veteran defensive tackle who has carved out a reliable role as a rotational interior disruptor for the Cincinnati Bengals. Earning a C+ grade this season, Hill sits firmly in the middle tier of NFL interior linemen — serviceable but not dominant. His 129 career games reflect durability and consistency, though his 2025 campaign represents a step back from his B-grade performance in 2024. The most striking number on Hill's sheet is his tackles-per-game rate of 3.88, which surpasses the elite benchmark of 3.65 and nearly doubles the NFL average of 2.30 — a genuine standout skill. His sack rate of 0.24 per game edges above the league average of 0.21, showing he can still generate occasional pressure. The serious concern is his tackles-for-loss rate of just 0.12 per game, well below the NFL average of 0.35, suggesting he's making contact but struggling to penetrate the backfield with impact. His season trend — dropping from a B in 2024 to a C in 2025 — indicates a player on the wrong side of his production curve at age 31. Hill's tackle volume keeps him on rosters, but without improvement in backfield disruption, his ceiling as a difference-maker is limited. Watch whether the Bengals deploy him in more stunting packages to manufacture the TFL production his current role isn't generating.

Current Sentiment

B.J. Hill enters the 2026 season as a respected veteran interior pass rusher whose recent social media activity has generated a notable buzz among the Bengals fanbase and broader NFL media. His cryptic posts, widely interpreted as enthusiasm surrounding Cincinnati's reported acquisition of Dexter Lawrence, have cast Hill in a positive, team-first light that resonates well with fans and analysts alike. The framing of these headlines is largely celebratory and speculative rather than critical, suggesting Hill is viewed as an engaged, locker-room-connected presence rather than a peripheral figure. From a pure production standpoint, Hill's 27.5 career sacks and $11 million annual salary position him as a reliable but undecorated starter — a player whose value is recognized within the organization even if he has not earned individual accolades. Heading into 2026, the perception narrative around Hill is quietly optimistic, buoyed by the prospect of playing alongside a dominant interior lineman that could elevate his own statistical profile and extend his relevance in Cincinnati's defensive front.