NFL teams, including the Cincinnati Bengals, have until this Thursday to decide whether to pick up or decline the fully guaranteed fifth-year options for players selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, impacting their status for the 2026 season.
These options are determined by the player’s position and fall into one of four tiers: basic, playtime, one Pro Bowl, or multiple Pro Bowl selections. Over The Cap provides a detailed breakdown of each tier.
The Bengals face a decision regarding their versatile defensive back.
The Cincinnati Bengals DB is categorized under Tier 1
Since Dax Hill did not reach the 50% snap count threshold in each of his first three seasons and wasn’t selected to a Pro Bowl, his fifth-year option falls under Tier 1.
As a player who transitioned from safety to cornerback, his Tier 1 salary is valued at $12.682 million—aligned with the salaries of players ranked between 3rd and 25th at the cornerback position over the last five years.
Hill has brought flexibility to the Bengals’ defense, lining up at three different positions: slot corner, safety, and outside cornerback. In 2024, he made the switch to outside corner before an ACL injury in Week 5 cut his season short.
The former first-round pick posted 25 tackles, two pass breakups, and allowed a 65.0% completion rate, 125 passing yards, one touchdown, and a 99.0 passer rating in coverage that year.
Cincinnati Bengals make $12 million decision on versatile starter
Jeremy Fowler reports that the Bengals have picked up Dax Hill’s fifth-year option, locking in a fully guaranteed salary of $12.682 million for the 2026 season. If no long-term deal is reached before then, Hill will become an unrestricted free agent in 2027.
This locks Dax Hill, a multi-year starter before a Week 5 ACL tear, into a projected $12.7M for 2026.
The Bengals have made clear recently they don’t want to develop key players only for them to leave in free agency. https://t.co/z5PRFQ8Fbn pic.twitter.com/uCZWRP2yUf
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 29, 2025
Fans react to the news
So happy for Dax, he’s gonna take it to the next level this SZN📈
— Chaston Scott (@CinCity808) April 29, 2025
@KelseyLConway there we go
— Jeremy 👽 (@JeremyDeal83) April 29, 2025
Make or break year for him.
— k23h73 (@k23h73) April 29, 2025
https://twitter.com/itzjoe100/status/1917288279772389680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1917288279772389680%7Ctwgr%5E78093b47e0c497b0fe05532168837c93e8c81cf2%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fgridironheroics.com%2Fcincinnati-bengals-dax-hill-12m%2F
W. Best yet to come
— noah (@noah_p42) April 29, 2025
Interesting, but good for him. He was put in a bad position the first 2yrs
— Skill Hunter (@SeanSTX) April 29, 2025
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