The Bengals announced that they have placed defensive tackle B.J. Hill on the active/physically unable to perform list. The team also put tight end Josh Kattus on the active/non-football injury list.
The Bengals did not provide a reason for Hill’s PUP placement. The 6-foot-3, 311-pounder will be eligible to come off the list and practice in camp when he is medically cleared. But if Hill is not ready to return when the Bengals finalize their roster on Aug. 30, he will move to reserve/PUP and miss their first four regular-season games. The Bengals’ opening four-week slate includes meetings with the Buccaneers and potential AFC playoff contenders in the Texans, Steelers and Jaguars.
Hill put together a full 17-game season in 2025, the eight-year veteran’s fifth Bengals campaign. While playing a little over 61% of defensive snaps, he totaled 66 tackles, nine QB hits and four sacks. He finished the year as Pro Football Focus’ 35th-best interior D-lineman out of 127 qualifiers, though the Bengals’ defense struggled as a unit. Cincinnati surrendered the most rushing yards in the league, the second-most total yards and the third-most points.
Thanks to the Bengals’ defensive issues and a toe injury that limited franchise quarterback Joe Burrow to eight starts, the team finished a dismal 6-11. Hoping to break a three-year playoff drought in 2026, the Bengals aggressively worked to upgrade their defense in the offseason. They lost star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson to the AFC North rival Ravens in free agency, but they landed elite nose tackle Dexter Lawrence in a stunning blockbuster with the Giants. Before trading the 10th overall pick in the draft for Lawrence, they added defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, edge rusher Boye Mafe and safety Bryan Cook in free agency.
Hill is now behind Lawrence and Allen in the Bengals’ interior D-line pecking order, but he should still see a good amount of action in 2026. That’s assuming Hill is not dealing with a serious injury.
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