Considered among the top interior defensive linemen in football, Atkins enters 2020 with 75.5 career sacks, most ever by a Bengals interior lineman and six shy of teammate Carlos Dunlap (81.5) for second place on the Bengals' all-time sack list (DE Eddie Edwards is the franchise's all-time leader with 83.5) ... Atkins' eight Pro Bowl selections (in 10 seasons) are the most ever by a Bengals defensive player ahead of CB Lemar Parrish (six) ... Has led the Bengals in sacks five times in his 10 seasons, and also has finished in at least a share of the NFL lead for sacks by an interior defensive lineman five times — claimed it outright three times (2012, '16, '17) and shared it twice ('11 and '15) ... Entering 2020, Bengals are 8-6 when Atkins records more than one sack.
Career transactions: Selected by Cincinnati in fourth round of 2010 NFL Draft (120th overall) ... Signed with Bengals on 7-17-10 ... Signed contract extension with Bengals on 9-2-13 ... Signed contract extension with Bengals on 8-28-18.
2019 highlights: Played in 16 games (14 starts) ... Recorded 47 tackles and 4.5 sacks ... Notched six tackles in Game 3 at Buffalo, including a third-down sack of QB Josh Allen as he was attempting to evade pressure in the pocket ... Sacked Jaguars QB Gardner Minshew twice in a three-minute span in Game 7 vs. Jacksonville ... In Game 10 at Oakland, applied consistent pressure in the Raiders' backfield (two QB hits) and recorded 1.5 sacks of QB Derek Carr ... In Game 12 vs. the N.Y. Jets, was part of defensive effort that held the Jets, who entered the contest having scored 34 points in each of their three previous games, to just six points ... Recorded five tackles in Game 16 vs. Cleveland, and was part of defensive effort that held Browns RB Nick Chubb, who entered the game as the NFL's leading rusher (5.0 yards per carry, 99.6 yards per game), to just a 3.2-yard average and 41 total rushing yards.
Previous seasons: 2010—Fourth-round draftee played his way into regular D-line rotation early in training camp ... Went on to play in every game, with one start, and led team in coaches' compilation of QB pressures (19) ... Had 20 tackles, and was second on team in sacks (three) ... Had first career solo sack on Dec. 19 vs. Cleveland, dropping Colt McCoy for one-yard loss ... Three QB pressures in first pro start, Dec. 12 at Pittsburgh. 2011—Played in every game, with 15 starts, and started Wild Card playoff at Houston ... His 7.5 sacks tied DT Tommy Kelly of Oakland for NFL lead among interior linemen ... First interior lineman to lead Bengals in sacks since 1996 (Dan Wilkinson with 6.5) ... His 68 tackles ranked second on line ... Second on team in QB pressures (22) ... Tied for team lead in combined fumbles forced/recovered (four) ... On Oct. 9 at Jacksonville, scored his first TD at any level of football after recovering a fumble from QB Blaine Gabbert on Jacksonville's final play and returning 10 yards for the score ... Had five tackles with a sack in the team's Wild Card playoff on 1-7-12 at Houston. 2012—Started all 16 games and Wild Card playoff at Houston, and his team-leading 12.5 sacks in regular season were 4.5 ahead of next-best NFL interior lineman (Detroit's Ndamukong Suh at eight) ... Set Bengals record for sacks by an interior lineman, easily topping Dan Wilkinson's eight from 1996 ... Tied for team lead in FFs (four) ... Also led Bengals in TFLs (15) and QB pressures (35) ... Named as AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in Cincinnati's playoff-clinching win Dec. 23 at Pittsburgh, sacking Ben Roethlisberger twice for 17 yards, forcing a fumble and leading line in tackles (eight). 2013—Started at DT in Games 1-9 ... Suffered knee injury (ACL tear) in second quarter of Game 9, Oct. 31 at Miami; and placed Nov. 4 on Reserve/Injured list ... His six sacks led the team through the point of his knee injury. 2014—Named to his third Pro Bowl, as injury replacement for Detroit DT Ndamukong Suh ... Totaled 34 tackles, three sacks (second on team), eight TFLs (second) and seven QB hits (third) ... On Nov. 23 at Houston, tackled RB Alfred Blue in the end zone for a safety in second quarter, giving Bengals 9-0 lead ... On Dec. 14 at Cleveland, had 10-yard sack of Johnny Manziel to force a punt. 2015—Started in Games 1-16, with 11 sacks (second on team, tied for first among NFL interior linemen) ... Second on team in QB hits (19) ... In Bengals' comeback win vs. Seattle, sacked Russell Wilson at the scrimmage line on third down in fourth quarter, forcing a punt, and Bengals then drove for tying FG that sent game into OT ... Started Wild Card Playoff vs. Pittsburgh, with three tackles and a five-yard sack of Ben Roethlisberger. 2016—Started Games 1-16, with 32 tackles, including team-leading nine sacks ... Had 4.5 sacks in last four games and claimed NFL season lead for sacks by interior linemen (nine) ... Also led Bengals in TFLs (13) and QB hits (26) ... In Game 13 at Cleveland, his 11-yard sacks of Robert Griffin III on consecutive plays in fourth quarter helped seal win. 2017—Played in 16 games with 15 starts ... Did not start Dec. 10 vs. Chicago due to toe injury ... Led team and all NFL interior defensive linemen in sacks with nine ... Had two-sack game Sept. 14 vs. Houston, including sack of Texans QB Deshaun Watson which forced punt ... Recorded a second two-sack game on Dec. 17 at Minnesota, with a nine-yard drop of Minnesota QB Case Keenum on first play from scrimmage ... Sacked QB Jacoby Brissett in first quarter on Oct. 29 vs. Indianapolis, which moved the Colts out of FG range and led to blocked punt. 2018—Started all 16 games at DT ... Selected to Pro Bowl as a starter for the AFC (did not play in game) ... Led Bengals with 10 sacks ... On Sept. 13 vs. Baltimore, had two sacks of Ravens QB Joe Flacco, both of which came on third downs and forced punts ... Recorded a fourth-down sack of Falcons QB Matt Ryan Sept. 30 at Atlanta, giving Cincinnati's offense good field position that led to a TD ... Recorded two sacks of Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill in win Oct. 7 vs. Miami ... Had season-high six tackles Dec. 16 vs. Oakland, including career-high three sacks, all of which were takedowns of Raiders QB Derek Carr in the fourth quarter while the Bengals were protecting a lead.
Pro Bowl participation: Selected to eight games, and has played in seven ... In 2019 season game, started at NT and logged one tackle, helping AFC team to a 38-33 victory ... In 2017 season game at Orlando, started the contest and had two tackles (both solos), helping the AFC to post a narrow 24-23 victory ... Starter in 2016 season game at Orlando, helping lead 20-13 AFC victory, with 1.5 sacks among three tackles ... Starter and team captain for victorious Team Irvin in 2015 season game at Honolulu, leading team's D-line in tackles (four, with two TFLs) ... Started for victorious Team Irvin in 2014 season game at Glendale, Ariz. (no statistics) ... Voted as AFC starter for 2012 season game and had one tackle ... Two tackles (one TFL) for AFC in 2011 season contest.
College: Played four seasons (2006-09) at Georgia ... Named team's defensive MVP as a senior ... Played in team's last 45 games of his career ... Totaled 50 games and 23 starts ... Helped Bulldogs post 38-14 record, including 4-0 in bowl games ... Totaled 120 tackles, with 11 sacks.
Personal: Hometown is Pembroke Pines, Fla. ... Attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School, where he was named Florida Class 5-A Defensive Player of the Year as a senior ... His father, Gene Atkins, had a 10-year NFL career at S with New Orleans and Miami ... Was a housing major at Georgia ... Enjoys traveling and movies ... First name is pronounced "JEE-no."
