The Cincinnati Bengals have internal free agents to worry about this offseason before they think about reuniting with past players.

Still, there are some very interesting names out there who used to wear Bengals stripes.

The first one that seems to come to mind for Bengals fans is DJ Reader.

But don’t forget about Mike Hilton.

Hilton, who turns 32 in March, will be on the open market and is still currently ranked as the 58th overall player heading to free agency, per the rankings at Pro Football Focus:

“Hilton played just 70 snaps for the Colts during his reunion with defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo this season. He was far more impactful during his time with the Bengals, emerging as one of the league’s most disruptive slot corners after totaling 138 defensive stops, tied for the most at the position from 2021 to 2024. As recently as the 2024 season, Hilton led all qualified defenders in PFF run-defense grade (91.7). His health following a shoulder injury will be key, but the 31-year-old could still regain form with another team.

Hilton appeared to lose a step as his time with the Bengals came to a close, but he was still very good in his niche. The Lou Anarumo experiment has since ended.

Perhaps writing off a reunion isn’t the best idea. The Bengals, after all, could still use some help in the slot and near the line of scrimmage. Dax Hill and DJ Turner have boundary corner spots locked down.

But the slot and both safety spots on Al Golden’s defense might get upgraded this offseason. If nothing else, Hilton would be fantastic depth who can help in a pinch.

That’s to say nothing, too, of the obvious leadership void the Bengals defense has had for years now. It’s getting better with younger guys, sure. But bringing Hilton back as a locker room presence, at least? There have certainly been worse Bengals offseason ideas.