7 Former Bengals who are another step closer to winning the Super Bowl for their current teams
Let’s see which former Bengals players are still alive in the postseason.
The Cincinnati Bengals blew their chance at competing for the Super Bowl a month ago before the regular season ended. Players on the roster won’t be getting fit for rings this offseason, but the dream is still alive for several names who used to play in Cincinnati.
There are eight teams remaining in the NFL playoffs, and when it comes to former Bengals who are healthy and members of their active rosters, that number drops to seven.
Below are the seven former Bengals who are still contending for a Super Bowl title.
DT Andrew Billings, Chicago Bears
Drafted by Cincinnati in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Andrew Billings played three seasons for the Bengals after his rookie year ended before it began due to injury. He was a full-time starter from 2018-19, including 14 starts during the first year of the Zac Taylor era with Lou Anarumo as Taylor’s defensive coordinator.
Billings, who opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19, has since played for the Cleveland Browns (2021), Las Vegas Raiders (2022), and has been with the Chicago Bears since 2023. He played in all 17 games this past season and started in Chicago’s wild-card victory over the Green Bay Packers this past Saturday.
C Ben Brown, New England Patriots
Ben Brown only played one preseason game for the Bengals as a rookie undrafted free agent signing in 2022 before suffering a season-ending injury. He was waived by Cincinnati leading up to the 2023 season.
Brown bounced around from the Seattle Seahawks to the Arizona Cardinals in 2023 before spending most of the 2024 calendar year with the Las Vegas Raiders. The New England Patriots signed him during the 2024 season and started him for 10 games at center. He started another four games in 2025, but only played special teams in Sunday’s win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
RT Trent Brown, Houston Texans
Trent Brown is the oldest former Bengal still in the postseason at 32 years of age. He was signed by Cincinnati in 2024 to start at right tackle, but a torn patellar tendon cut his season short in Week 3 of that year.
Brown signed with the Houston Texans during the 2025 offseason, but ended up placing him on the practice squad to start the regular season. He was signed back to the roster in Week 5, and started seven of the final nine games. He also started in Monday night’s wild-card win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
DT Eric Gregory, New England Patriots
The lone rookie on the list is Eric Gregory, one of Cincinnati’s premier UDFA signings in 2025. Gregory was expected to land on the practice squad for the start of 2025, but New England claimed him off waivers and played him in six games during the regular season.
Gregory played 10 snaps against Los Angeles on Sunday.
CB Nick McCloud, Chicago Bears
There are a couple of names here who hardly played in Cincinnati and Nick McCloud is one of them. McCloud, originally an undrafted free agent signed by the Buffalo Bills, was claimed off waivers by the Bengals right before the 2021 season began. The first eight games of his career were played in Cincinnati before he hit waivers again and was signed to the Bills’ practice squad.
McCloud spent nearly three years with the New York Giants (2022-24), spent part of 2024 with the San Francisco 49ers, and then was signed by the Bears last offseason. He played 15 games for Chicago this season, and played 16 snaps in Saturday’s victory over Green Bay.
DT Larry Ogunjobi, Buffalo Bills
Larry Ogunjobi only played one season for the Bengals in 2021, and was a crucial component to their defensive line before suffering a season-ending injury during their first playoff victory in 31 years. Ogunjobi played the next three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers (2022-24) before signing with the Buffalo Bills in 2025.
Ogunjobi was suspended for the first six games of the season two days after signing with Buffalo, but he ended up playing in 10 games during the year. He did not play in Sunday’s wild-card victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
DT Sheldon Rankins, Houston Texans
Last but not least is Sheldon Rankins, who was Cincinnati’s top free-agent signing in 2024. Rankins only played in seven games for the Bengals last year as he missed time with a hamstring injury early in the season, and viral meningitis and shingles took him out of the final seven games of the year.
Rankins originally came to Cincy from the Houston Texans, and the Texans brought him back in 2025 after the Bengals released him. He played in all 17 games for Houston, and notched 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovered returned for a touchdown in Monday’s win in Pittsburgh.
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