B.J. Hill

Hill has played in 81 regular-season games and seven postseason games for Cincinnati since being acquired in a trade with the N.Y. Giants shortly before the 2021 campaign ... He spent most of the 2021 season as a reserve DT, but was thrust into the starting role during that year's playoff run and has been a starter in every game since ... In 2025, he was voted a team captain and logged 66 tackles, five TFLs and four sacks in 17 starts ... Has 2.5 sacks in postseason play, and had momentum-shifting INT in second half of AFC Championship win at Kansas City following 2021 season ... Originally a Giants third-round pick out of North Carolina State in 2018.

Hill has played in 81 regular-season games and seven postseason games for Cincinnati since being acquired in a trade with the N.Y. Giants shortly before the 2021 campaign ... He spent most of the 2021 season as a reserve DT, but was thrust into the starting role during that year's playoff run and has been a starter in every game since ... In 2025, he was voted a team captain and logged 66 tackles, five TFLs and four sacks in 17 starts ... Has 2.5 sacks in postseason play, and had momentum-shifting INT in second half of AFC Championship win at Kansas City following 2021 season ... Originally a Giants third-round pick out of North Carolina State in 2018.

Career transactions: Selected by N.Y. Giants in third round of 2018 NFL Draft (69th overall) ... Signed with Giants on 6-7-18 ... Acquired by Cincinnati in trade with Giants on 8-30-21 ... Signed contract extension with Bengals on 3-15-22 ... Bengals contract expired on 3-11-25; became unrestricted free agent ... Re-signed with Bengals as unrestricted free agent on 3-11-25.

Pro career:

2018—Played in all 16 games (12 starts) as a rookie with the N.Y. Giants ... Set Giants rookie record with 5.5 sacks (records date back to when sacks became an official stat in 1982) ... Sack total also ranked second on team ... Recorded first NFL sack on Sept. 23 at Houston, when he took down QB Deshaun Watson for seven-yard loss ... Had career-high three sacks on Dec. 2 vs. Chicago.

2019—Played in all 16 games (five starts) for the Giants ... Posted 36 tackles and a sack ... Lone sack of season came on Dec. 22 at Washington.

2020—Played in all 16 games for the Giants, and posted 32 tackles and a sack ... Lone sack of season came on Sept. 20 at Chicago, when he took down QB Mitchell Trubisky for nine-yard loss.

2021—Acquired by Cincinnati in a trade with the Giants on Aug. 30, just before final cuts (Giants acquired C Billy Price) ... Played in 16 regular-season games (two starts) and all four postseason games (three starts) ... Totaled 50 tackles and 5.5 sacks during regular season, seeing time mostly as rotational DT ... Helped Cincinnati rank fifth in NFL in rushing defense (102.5 yards per game) ... Posted two sacks in Bengals debut on Sept. 12 vs. Minnesota ... Sacked QB Derek Carr for seven-yard loss on Las Vegas' final drive of Wild Card Playoff ... Picked off QB Patrick Mahomes in third quarter of AFC Championship at Kansas City, setting up Bengals TD drive ... Started Super Bowl LVI against the L.A. Rams and had three tackles, including a third-down TFL to force Rams punt on game's opening drive.

2022—Started all 16 regular-season games and three postseason contests ... Recorded 68 tackles (30 solos), with three sacks, four TFLs, four PDs, one FF and three FRs ... Helped Bengals rank seventh in rushing defense (106.6 yards per game) ... Had team's first sack of season on Sept. 11 vs. Pittsburgh, bringing down QB Mitchell Trubisky for two-yard loss ... Had a FF and two FRs (first two of career) on Sept. 25 at the N.Y. Jets ... On Dec. 24 at New England, had game-saving FR at Bengals' five-yard line to protect 22-18 lead with 1:05 left ... Tallied nine tackles, a sack, a TFL and two PDs in the postseason ... Sacked QB Tyler Huntley to force fourth-quarter punt in Wild Card Playoff vs. Baltimore ... Had three assisted tackles and two PDs in Divisional Playoff at Buffalo, helping limit Bills to 64 rushing yards.

2023—Started all 17 games ... Totaled 51 tackles (26 solos), with 4.5 sacks and two TFLs, along with career-high five PDs, two INTs and one FR ... On Sept. 25 vs. L.A. Rams, sacked QB Matthew Stafford for eight-yard loss on third down to force punt ... Recovered a fumble late in fourth quarter on Oct. 29 at San Francisco to seal road win ... Had first career INT Dec. 10 vs. Indianapolis, securing a tipped pass near line of scrimmage in fourth quarter ... Had second INT the following week vs. Minnesota, ending a Vikings drive that reached Cincinnati 22-yard line late in first half ... Tallied season-high eight tackles on Dec. 23 at Pittsburgh.

2024—Played and started 15 games ... Inactive for Games 3 and 4 due to hamstring injury ... Totaled 56 tackles, three sacks, seven TFLs and four PDs ... Returned from two-game hiatus on Oct. 6 vs. Baltimore and logged five tackles ... Faced former team Oct. 13 at the N.Y. Giants and recorded season-high seven tackles and two PDs; Also deflected a pass by Giants QB Daniel Jones that led to INT by LB Germaine Pratt in first quarter ... Posted six tackles (four solos) on Oct. 27 vs. Philadelphia ... Notched first sack of season on Dec. 1 vs. Pittsburgh, bringing down QB Russell Wilson on third down to force FG attempt in fourth quarter ... Followed up with second sack Dec. 9 at Dallas, dropping QB Cooper Rush in Cincinnati territory in third quarter ... Registered sack in third straight game on Dec. 15 at Tennessee, taking down QB Will Levis to force punt in third quarter.

2025—Started all 17 games ... Totaled 66 tackles (29 solos), with five TFLs and four sacks ... Took down QB Joe Flacco for first sack of season (loss of six yards) on Sept. 7 at Cleveland ... Recorded five tackles with a TFL on Sept. 29 at Denver ... Registered second sack of season on Nov. 2 vs. Chicago, bringing down QB Caleb Williams for seven-yard loss to force third-and-long ... Sacked QB Josh Allen for eight-yard loss in third quarter on Dec. 7 at Buffalo ... Tied career high with eight tackles, including a sack, in season finale on Jan. 4 vs. Cleveland.

College: Spent four years (2014-17) at North Carolina State ... Played in 51 career games (44 starts), and totaled 187 tackles, 26.5 TFLs, nine sacks, two FFs, two FRs, 11 QB hits and 10 pass break ups ... Earned starting job midway through freshman season ... Played in 2018 Senior Bowl.

High school/personal: Hometown is Oakboro, N.C. ... Attended West Stanly High School, where he had nine sacks as a DE and 189 rushing yards with five TDs as a RB in senior season ... Also played basketball ... Criminology major at N.C. State.

Last Updated July 2026