Former Bengals starter finds himself as a free agent once more after signing with a new team last month
Back on the market.
Former Cincinnati Bengals nickelback Mike Hilton is back on the free agent market right before final cuts.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Miami Dolphins have informed Hilton of his release Monday morning.
Hilton, who played in Cincinnati from 2021-24, became a free agent after his contract with the Bengals expired in March when the new league year began. He was one of a handful of the club’s free agents who remained unsigned for the majority of the offseason until he signed a one-year, $1.255 million deal with Miami at the onset of Dolphins training camp on July 26. He earned a signing bonus of $167,500, which Miami is now on the hook for in terms of salary cap accounting.
The Dolphins signed Hilton to potentially be their starter in the slot, but the 31-year old didn’t start in either of the two preseason games he played in for Miami. He played a grand total of 20 snaps and did not play in Week 2.
As camp progressed, rookie fifth-round pick Jason Marshall established himself as the guy in the slot for the Dolphins, and with Hilton being an experienced starter for the past eight years, it makes sense as to why Miami doesn’t want to hold on to him as a backup when he can pursue a starting gig elsewhere.
His next stop, however, is unlikely to be a return to Cincinnati. The Bengals are going to start 20222 first-rounder Dax Hill at NB and have a few other players who can fill that role when needed. They had several months to bring Hilton back and instead moved forward without him, so barring injuries depleting them completely in the secondary, Hilton is unlikely to get a call to come back.
Hilton is one of many vets who will be looking for a new team this week. Final cuts are due for every franchise 4:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
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