Bengals 2025 Roster Breakdown: Jaylen Key is the drafted player you didn't know about in Cincinnati's secondary

Bengals roster breakdown is back! During the 99 days leading up to Cincinnati's regular season opener against the Cleveland Browns, the player with the matching jersey number as days remaining will become the day's highlighted player.

43 days remain until the Bengals' first game of the 2025 season, giving us an official introduction to No. 43 Jaylen Key.

Jaylen Key

Age: 25
Year: 2nd
Position: Safety
College: Alabama
Previous Teams: New York Jets (2024)
Jersey Number: 43

Key enters his second season in the NFL and first full year with the Bengals after being drafted 257th overall in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft (yes, he was Mr. Irrelevant last year). He spent one year at Alabama after four years at UAB. He spent his first three years in a reserve role for the Blazers before becoming a starter in 2022. He leveraged that year to transfer 50 miles southwest to Tuscaloosa for his final year. Key started a strong safety for the Crimson Tide, recording 35 solo tackles and an interception. 

New York waived Key during final cuts last year and added him back to the practice squad for a month before releasing him again. He was brought back two weeks later before being released for good at the end of October. He signed with the Bengals' practice squad leading up to Week 16 and stayed through the end of the season. 

Contract Details

Key signed a one-year, $840,000 deal with Cincinnati this offseason. His potential cash earnings and salary cap hit for the year is $840,000.

Roster Outlook

Key went from a one-year starter at UAB, to playing in the National Championship for Alabama, to then being the very last pick in the draft. If anyone's used to extreme highs and lows of this sport, it's him. He joined the Bengals late last year and got the chance to stick around for the offseason and training camp. A push for the 53-man roster may be out of his control if the main players at safety stay healthy, but he'll get ample looks in preseason. 

Like many on the team, the next month for Key is about going above and beyond just to prove worthy of a practice squad invite.

Roster odds: 5%
Projected role: Reserve safety

Previous Player Profiles

• No. 99: Myles Murphy
• No. 98: T.J. Slaton Jr.
• No. 97: Shemar Stewart
• No. 96: Cam Sample
• No. 95: Howard Cross III
• No. 94: Eric Gregory
• No. 93: McKinnley Jackson
• No. 92: B.J. Hill
• No. 91: Trey Hendrickson
• No. 90: Kris Jenkins Jr.
• No. 89: Drew Sample
• No. 88: Mike Gesicki
• No. 87: Tanner Hudson
• No. 86: Kole Taylor
• No. 85: Cam Grandy
• No. 84: Tanner McLachlan
• No. 83: Erick All Jr.
• No. 82: Mitchell Tinsley
• No. 81: Jermaine Burton
• No. 80: Andrei Iosivas
• No. 79: Andrew Coker
• No. 77: Caleb Etienne
• No. 76: Devin Cochran
• No. 75: Orlando Brown Jr.
• No. 74: Jalen Rivers
• No. 73: Andrew Stueber
• No. 71: Amarius Mims
• No. 69: Dante Barnett
• No. 68: Seth McLaughlin
• No. 67: Cordell Volson
• No. 66: Tashawn Manning
• No. 65: Matt Lee
• No. 64: Ted Karras
• No. 63: Dylan Fairchild
• No. 62: Lucas Patrick
• No. 61: Cody Ford
• No. 60: Jaxson Kirkland
• No. 59: Craig Young
• No. 58: Joseph Ossai
• No. 56: Raymond Johnson III
• No. 55: Logan Wilson
• No. 53: Joe Giles-Harris
• No. 52: Cedric Johnson
• No. 51: Isaiah Thomas
• No. 50: Shaka Heyward
• No. 49: Barrett Carter
• No. 48: Cal Adomitis
• No. 47: Shaquan Loyal
• No. 46: William Wagner
• No. 45: Maema Njongmeta
• No. 44: Demetrius Knight Jr.