Cincinnati Bengals Signing Veteran to Bolster Safety Depth

The Bengals are signing veteran safety Russ Yeast to their practice squad according to NFL insider Aaron Wilson.

Yeast, 26, is a former seventh round pick (253rd overall) in the 2022 NFL Draft. He spent two seasons with the Los Angeles Rams after they drafted him (2022-23).

He appeared in 32 games over that span, finishing with 81 tackles and five passes defensed. Yeast appeared in one game for the Rams in 2024, but ended up bouncing around a bit. He played in two games for the Panthers and one game for the Texans.

Yeast spent the offseason and training camp in Houston. He was released on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old has played 936 total snaps on defense during his three year NFL career. He also has 321 special teams snaps over that span.

Depth

By signing Yeast, the Bengals are signing a young, but experienced player that has logged meaningful snaps in the NFL. He logged 36 snaps in the Rams' 24-23 loss to the Lions in the Wild Card round of the playoffs on January 14, 2024.

This also shouldn't get in the way of another move. The Bengals have been reluctant to sign a veteran safety this offseason. They clearly believe in their top three guys: Geno Stone, Jordan Battle and Tycen Anderson.

Family Ties

Yeast is the son of former Bengals wide receiver Craig Yeast. The Bengals drafted Craig Yeast in the fourth round (98th overall) in the 1999 NFL Draft out of Kentucky.

He spent two seasons in Cincinnati, appearing in 24 games. Yeast finished his Bengals career with 27 receptions for 321 yards. He also averaged 9.9 yards per punt return and had two returns for touchdowns during the 1999 season.

Watch one of Yeast's punt returns below: