Throughout the summer leading up to the regular season, we will go through the entire 2024 Cincinnati Bengals roster. Every single day until the season opener against the New England Patriots , we will break down a player on the roster including his background, contract status, and path towards making the team.
Today, we prepare for what could be the last season nickelback Mike Hilton plays in Cincinnati. Hilton was one of the key free agent signings the Bengals made prior to their 2021 resurgence. He may even be remembered now more for wearing orange and black instead of black and yellow. He's an AFC North legend through and through.
Mike Hilton
- Age: 30
- Year: 8th
- Position: Nickelback
- College: Ole Miss
- Previous Teams: Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers
- Jersey Number: 21
Hilton was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Jaguars following the 2016 NFL Draft. He played four seasons at Ole Miss and played in every single year all over the secondary. He stuck to safety as a senior in 2015 and was named a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist.
After spending his rookie offseason with the Jags, the Patriots added Hilton to their practice squad for a week. He was a free agent for months before the Steelers signed him to their practice squad late in the 2016 season. Pittsburgh kept him for the 2017 offseason, and he made his first NFL roster. He played in 16 games and earned the first four starts of his career in the slot. That position would become his home for four years in Pittsburgh as he played in 61 total games (including postseason).
Hilton did it all for Pittsburgh, racking up sacks, tackles for loss, and interceptions in his role, but the Steelers never offered him a multi-year deal thanks to the control they had over his restricted free agent status. He finally became an unrestricted free agent in 2021 and signed a four-year deal with the Bengals, an AFC North rival. He may've came from the enemy side of the battlefield, but he was welcomed with open arms and took on the same exact role he excelled at for years in the Steel City. That was never more evident than when he scored the first-ever pick-six in his football life in a blowout victory against his former team during the 2021 Super Bowl run.
Following two seasons of excellent play in the slot, Hilton was voted a team captain for the first time in his Bengals career in 2023. He posted career-highs in tackles (84) and tackles for loss (12) as he finished the season strong after a rough start. Now 30 years old, this may be his last go around in Cincinnati.
Contract details
Hilton is in the final year of his four-year, $24 million contract. He will earn a base salary of $5.75 million for the 2024 season. He's already earned $200,000 from a workout bonus. He can also earn up to $500,000 in per game roster bonuses. His cap number for the season will be $7.45 million.
Roster outlook
There are more questions about the future of Hilton's starting job than the present. He's one of the true veteran leaders of the defense who's relied on to get everyone lined up pre-snap. That role was emphasized last year without much help from the safeties, and it may've hindered his play a bit early on in the year. Now with Vonn Bell back in the picture, things should feel more normal around Hilton.
What will be interesting to monitor is how often Hilton is taken off the field. Man-to-man coverage has never been his strength, and the Bengals have multiple younger players who can cover out of the slot. We already saw DJ Turner II and Daijahn Anthony used in a third down package between outside corners Dax Hill and Cam Taylor-Britt. That package should be useful in obvious passing situations, giving Hilton rest to be a menace against the run.
Replacing Hilton next year will likely come down to a couple of those names, and rookie Josh Newton is in the mix as well. For now, the Bengals will look to maximize their veteran nickelback in the best way possible.
Projected role: Starting nickelback
Previous player breakdowns
Related: Bengals Roster Breakdown: Josh Newton approaches the game exactly how a cornerback should
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