Bengals Sign CB Ja’Sir Taylor

Taylor entered the league as a sixth-round pick of the Chargers. Each of his first three seasons were spent with the Bolts, and he totaled 11 defensive starts over that span. Taylor posted eight pass deflections in 2023, the year in which he handled his largest workload. Since then, however, his playing time has decreased.

After Taylor saw his workload shift toward special teams in 2024, that trend continued at the start of this past season. The 27-year-old was traded to the Jets not long after they dealt Sauce Gardner as part of their defensive rebuild. Taylor made nine appearances with New York but was unable to establish himself as a regular in the secondary.

The Bengals’ cornerback depth chart is topped by DJ Turner and Dax Hill. Both are pending 2027 free agents, and working out extensions in each case is a priority for Cincinnati. While efforts on that front will presumably pick up over the remainder of the offseason, Taylor will look to carve out a role for himself; in particular the Wake Forest product will aim to use his experience in the slot to earn playing time with the Bengals.

Cincinnati entered Thursday with over $20MM in cap space. This Taylor contract will no doubt be a one-year deal bringing with it a small financial commitment, though, so the team’s remaining free agent moves will not be affected.