A 2019 Bengals second-round draft pick, Sample has established a key role as a blocking TE in Cincinnati's offense ... He has played in 95 career regular-season games with 62 starts, including 37 starts out of his last 51 appearances ... Also has contributed 115 career receptions for 836 yards and five TDs ... Missed the majority of the 2022 season due to a knee injury, but has played in all 51 Bengals games since the start of the '23 campaign ... Had streak of 39 consecutive games played (including postseason) before knee injury.
Career transactions: Selected by Cincinnati in second round of 2019 NFL Draft (52nd overall) ... Signed with Bengals on 5-16-19 ... Bengals contract expired on 3-15-23; became unrestricted free agent ... Re-signed with Bengals as unrestricted free agent on 4-14-23 ... Signed contract extension with Bengals on 3-11-24.
2019—Played in nine games (two starts) as a rookie for Cincinnati ... Caught five passes for 30 yards ... Made NFL debut in season opener at Seattle (no statistics) ... Recorded first NFL catch on Sept. 15 vs. San Francisco, a 21-yarder from QB Andy Dalton in fourth quarter ... Suffered right ankle injury on Nov. 10 vs. Baltimore and was inactive for following two games, before spending final four games on Reserve/Injured list.
2020—Played in all 16 games (13 starts) ... Started Games 4-16, after C.J. Uzomah suffered season-ending injury in Game 2 ... Caught 40 passes for 349 yards and one TD ... Notched career-high 52 receiving yards on five catches on Oct. 25 vs. Cleveland ... Scored first career TD on eight-yard pass from QB Brandon Allen on Dec. 27 at Houston.
2021—Played in all 17 regular-season games (eight starts) and all four postseason games (two starts) ... Caught 11 passes for 81 yards ... Played 199 special teams snaps and had one ST tackle ... Caught one pass for four yards in postseason ... Played 19 offensive snaps and 13 special teams snaps in Super Bowl LVI vs. L.A. Rams (no stats).
2022—Started first two regular-season games, before suffering right knee injury on Sept. 18 at Dallas ... Inactive for Games 3-4, then on Oct. 3 was placed on Reserve/Injured list, where he spent remainder of regular season and all of postseason.
2023—Played in all 17 games with 10 starts ... Eight of his starts came in final nine games ... Caught 22 passes for 163 yards and two TDs ... Played 18 offensive snaps in season opener at Cleveland (no stats), seeing first game action since Week 2 of 2022 ... Scored first TD since 2020 season on Nov. 5 vs. Buffalo, turning dump pass from QB Joe Burrow into 22-yard TD before halftime ... Caught 11-yard TD pass from QB Jake Browning on Nov. 26 vs. Pittsburgh to give Bengals lead in second quarter.
2024—Played in all 17 games with 15 starts ... Caught 20 passes for 109 yards and one TD ... Also played 227 special teams snaps and had one assisted ST tackle ... Had three catches for 28 yards on Sept. 15 at Kansas City ... Provided key block on WR Charlie Jones' 100-yard KOR TD on Oct. 20 at Cleveland ... Scored first TD of season on two-yard catch in third quarter on Nov. 3 vs. Las Vegas, and finished with season-high four receptions for 14 yards ... Recorded 100th career reception on Jan. 4 at Pittsburgh, and finished with season-high-tying four grabs for 14 yards.
2025—Played in all 17 games with 12 starts ... Caught 15 passes for 106 yards and one TD ... Had two grabs for 20 yards and a TD on Sept. 21 at Minnesota; scoring catch was four-yarder in fourth quarter ... Caught two passes for season-high 31 yards on Dec. 21 at Miami, including 27-yarder to convert third down during TD drive before halftime ... Had season-high three receptions for 17 yards on Jan. 4 at Cleveland.
College: Spent five seasons (2014-18) at Washington, with a redshirt year in '14 ... Played in 51 games with 40 starts ... Caught 46 passes for 487 yards and five TDs ... In 2016, helped Washington win Pac-12 Conference title and make program's first appearance in College Football Playoff.
High school/personal: Hometown is Bellevue, Wash. ... Attended Newport High School in Bellevue, where he totaled 21 career catches for 496 yards and 11 TDs ... Also lettered in basketball as a junior and senior ... Graduated from Washington in June 2018 with degree in communications; also received a sales certificate from Washington's business school.
