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.
36 days remain until the Bengals’ first game of the 2025 season, putting No. 36 Kendall Milton in a spotlight brighter than it would’ve been a week ago.
Kendall Milton
Age: 23
Year: 2nd
Position: Running back
College: Georgia
Previous Teams: Philadelphia Eagles (2024)
Jersey Number: 36
Milton, nephew of former Bengals linebacker Kevin Hardy, enters his second season in the NFL and with the Bengals after going undrafted during the 2024 NFL Draft. He spent four years at Georgia and played in 41 games, rushing for 1839 yards and 23 touchdowns. The Eagles initially signed him as a UDFA following the draft, but waived him during final cuts later in the offseason. Cincinnati signed him to the practice squad two days later, where he stayed for nearly the entire regular season.
The Bengals signed Milton off the practice squad two separate times last year and dressed him in three games total in Weeks 9, 10, and 18. He played five snaps in his NFL debut against the Las Vegas Raiders and one snap in the season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He didn’t carry the ball once.
Contract Details
Milton’s original one-year, $795,000 contract turned into a two-year, $1.755 million deal when he was signed off the practice squad to end the 2024 season. He can make $960,000 this year, which also represents his salary cap hit for the 2025 season.
Roster Outlook
Milton got the call a couple times last year when Cincinnati ran into injury issues with both Zack Moss and Chase Brown. Because of that, there’s a good chance he’s RB4 on the roster right now with Moss out of the picture.
If the Bengals were to keep four backs, which they typically do, Milton would make the cut at this moment.
The next three weeks are unbelievably crucial for Milton. He can convince the coaching staff Chase Brown, Samaje Perine, and Tahj Brooks need another reserve to round out the room. Even if they do keep four, there’s a chance another option emerges on the waiver wire.
Milton will have first dibs on making the case for himself.
Roster odds: 35%
Projected role: Reserve running back
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.
- No. 43: Jaylen Key
- No. 42: Oren Burks
- No. 41: Nate Brooks
- No. 40: Quali Conley
- No. 39: Lance Robinson
- No. 38: DJ Ivey
- No. 37: PJ Jules
