Bengals Player Profile: Xavier Johnson trying to become the next hometown hero in Cincinnati
Xavier Johnson is buried underneath plenty of receivers on Cincinnati’s depth chart, but he’s the only one who’s played here since his early days.
We’re 88 days away from the Cincinnati Bengals’ preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles. We’ll have gone through the entire Bengals 90-man roster by the time that game kicks off. Check out previous player profiles here.
Our next player was added to the roster late last season, and has every reason to make this stop in his NFL career count.
Xavier Johnson Player Profile
Age: 27
Year: 1
Position: Wide receiver
College: Ohio State
Jersey Number: 18
Xavier Johnson was originally an undrafted free agent signing of the Buffalo Bills following the 2024 NFL Draft. He spent six years at Ohio State, playing both running back and wide receiver. He was named a team captain in 2023, and logged 13 receptions for 178 yards that season.
Johnson was cut by the Bills before his rookie season officially began and spent the season on the Houston Texans practice squad. Houston waived him with an injury designation before final cuts in 2025. A few months later, Cincinnati released Jermaine Burton and needed another wideout in the building. The Bengals signed Johnson to their practice squad on Dec. 10.
Contract details
Johnson signed a futures deal to remain with Cincinnati during the 2026 offseason. His contract, a one-year, $885,000 deal, is the minimum for a player with his level of experience. His cash figure and cap hit are both the $885,000 amount.
Roster outlook
Johnson is buried underneath plenty of receivers on Cincy’s depth chart, but he’s the only one who’s played here since his early days. The 27-year old grew up in Cincinnati and attended The Summit Country Day School just 4.3 miles away from Paycor Stadium. He was a three-star recruit coming out of high school after playing both running back and wideout. He was recruited by the University of Cincinnati, but landed on Ohio State and enrolled in 2018 as a walk-on.
That’s what made Johnson an exciting story last year, even if he couldn’t get on the field as the season wrapped up. He’ll be out there during the preseason, hoping to become the next Mitchell Tinsley, and shake up his hometown receivers room.
Roster odds: 5%