Bengals Have Unique Training Camp Plan in Place for Veteran DT B.J. Hill

CINCINNATI – While the Cincinnati Bengals expect cornerback Dax Hill to participate in in the first practice of training camp Wednesday, the timeline could be a little longer for defensive tackle B.J. Hill.

B.J. Hill missed most of the offseason program with an undisclosed lower-leg injury, but head coach Zac Taylor sounded an optimistic tone during Monday’s pre-camp media luncheon.

“B.J. is not going to take a ton of training camp reps,” Taylor said. “We've seen all we need to see from B.J., and we’ve got to make sure he’s ready to roll for Game 1.”

The Bengals signed a pair of defensive tackles Sunday in Taven Bryan, a first-round pick of the Jaguars in 2018, and McTelvin Agim.

But Taylor said there is no connection between those transactions and Hill’s health.

“That's been something we've talked about for weeks,” Taylor said. “(We) feel good about adding those two guys to the mix. We just felt like a little light there going into training camp. So that that has nothing to do with B.J.”

Hill, who turned 30 in April, signed a three-year, $33 million extension in March.

He’s had at least three sacks and four pass defenses in each of the last three seasons after signing a three-year, $30 million extension on the heels of the Bengals’ run to Super Bowl LVI in 2021, when Hill recorded a career-high 5.5 sacks.

Hill is expected to start alongside T.J. Slaton, whom the Bengals signed to a two-year, $14.1 million contract in March.

With Hill not taking a lot of reps in camp, the Bengals will be able to give more to 2024 draft picks Kris Jenkins and McKinnley Jackson, along with the newly acquired Bryan and Agim.