The Cincinnati Bengals kept their playoff hopes alive in Week 17 with a thrilling 30-24 overtime victory over the Denver Broncos. However, they were forced to make a tough roster move involving veteran defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins on Monday that will make things even tougher for their defense moving forward.
After a strong 2023 campaign with the Houston Texans, Rankins signed a two-year deal with the Bengals in free agency, with the hope being he could shore up their interior defensive line. Unfortunately, he’s only played in seven games, as he’s missed time due to a hamstring injury and a viral illness.
The latter issue has held Rankins out for the past six games, and it doesn’t seem like he’s particularly close to returning to action. As a result, the Bengals ended Rankins season prematurely by placing him on the reserve/non-football illness list on Monday ahead of their Week 18 action.
“We have placed DT Sheldon Rankins on the Reserve/Non-Football Illness list,” the Bengals said in an announcement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
We have placed DT Sheldon Rankins on the Reserve/Non-Football Illness list. pic.twitter.com/YnZ3g7JGuA
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) December 30, 2024
Not every free agency move pans out, and it’s safe to say that Rankins did not have the season the Bengals were hoping he’d have. Playing only seven games is bad enough, and even then, Rankins didn’t make a huge impact, racking up just 18 tackles and one sack during those contests.
That’s a far cry from the six sacks Rankins racked up in 2023, which was arguably the best season of his career. There are several reasons why Cincy’s defense has not met expectations this season, and Rankins inability to stay on the field has played a role in the unit’s overall struggles.
The good news for Cincinnati is that they are still alive, and they have gotten some decent production from their interior defensive line with Rankins out. B.J. Hill and McKinnley Jackson have stepped up to man the two starting spots with Rankins out, and they have largely managed to hold their own.
While the Bengals have done well to rattle off a four-game win streak to keep their season alive, they will have to find a way to win again in Week 18 against the Pittsburgh Steelers if they want any shot at sneaking into the AFC’s final wild card spot.
