Bengals 2025 Roster Breakdown: Shaquan Loyal rounds out safety position as the lone rookie in the room

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By John Sheeran | Last updated Jul 22, 2025 9:23 AM ET

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.

47 days remain until the Bengals' first game of the 2025 season, bringing us to our first defensive back in No. 47 Shaquan Loyal.

Shaquan Loyal

Age: 23
Year: 1st
Position: Safety
College: Rutgers
Previous Teams: None
Jersey Number: 47

Loyal enters his first season in the NFL and with the Bengals after going undrafted during the 2025 NFL Draft. He spent four years at Rutgers and played in 43 games, 28 being starts. His first two starts at safety came during his sophomore year in 2022, and he took over full-time in 2023, finishing fourth on the team with 66 tackles. He was voted honorable mention All-Big Ten as a senior in 2024 after compiling a career-highs in tackles (77), tackles for loss (4), interceptions (2), and passes defensed (and 9).

Cincinnati agreed to terms with Loyal on a college free agent contract soon after the draft, but didn't officially sign him until three days after the rest of the UDFA class. Cornerback Micah Abraham was waived in order to fit Loyal on the 90-man roster.

Contract Details

Loyal signed a three-year, $2.995 million college free agent deal in May following the draft. He earned a $30,000 signing bonus, tied for the largest out of the team's 14 UDFAs, and can earn a non-guaranteed $840,000 base salary this season.

Loyal's salary cap hit for the season is $850,000 and he can earn $860,000 in cash this year. Should the Bengals waive him sometime this offseason, they'd only be on the hook for his $30,000 signing bonus as dead money.

Roster Outlook

Loyal is one of seven safeties on the Bengals' roster entering training camp and the only rookie of the bunch as well. The position usually has four on the 53-man roster with a fifth occasionally making it through final cuts, but a deep cornerback group likely limits that number to four barring injury.

The main issue for Loyal is none of the top four spots are truly up for grabs. Daijahn Anthony could be pushed during camp and the preseason, but it would take him severely disappointing after making the roster last year as a rookie.

It is interesting that Loyal received more up-front cash than 12 other Bengals UDFAs this year, but he can only realistically push for a practice squad spot unless he proves to be undeniable over the next month.

Roster odds: 5%
Projected role: Reserve safety