Bengals Player Profile: Howard Cross III already knows what it takes to crack the 53-man roster
Cross made a great impression during his first training camp and preseason and made the initial 53-man roster. It will be very difficult for him to break through this year.
We’re 63 days (nine weeks!) away from the Cincinnati Bengals’ preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles. Final cuts will come soon after that game, which is why we’re breaking down every single player on the Bengals’ 90-man roster. Check out previous player profiles here.
Our next player in the series made last year’s roster as a UDFA. He has another uphill battle ahead of him this year.
Howard Cross III Player Profile
Age: 24
Year: 2nd
Position: Defensive tackle
College: Notre Dame
Jersey Number: 95
Howard Cross III was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Bengals following the 2025 NFL Draft. Cross spent six years (2019-24) at Notre Dame, playing in 65 career games and starting 35 of them. His last three years with the program coincided with Al Golden’s three-year tenure as the Fighting Irish’s defensive coordinator. That connection was a big reason why Cincy signed him as a UDFA.
Cross made a great impression during his first training camp and preseason and made the initial 53-man roster. He made his debut in Week 3’s loss against the Minnesota Vikings. The Bengals waived him after Week 4 and added him back to the practice squad. They elevated him off the practice squad in each of the last three weeks, giving him four appearances as a rookie.
Contract details
Cross signed a futures contract with Cincinnati directly following the 2025 season. His contract is for one-year, $1,005,000. His base salary, cash figure, and salary cap hit for 2026 is the same $1,005,000 amount.
Roster outlook
The Bengals lacked quality defensive tackle depth last year. Cross and then UDFA Eric Gregory benefitted from that reality by making it through final cuts. The path for Cross to make the team again is much harder this year. Jonathan Allen, B.J. Hill, and Dexter Lawrence all are locked in. Kris Jenkins Jr., McKinnley Jackson, and Landon Robinson are all competing for maybe only two spots. All three could make it through, loading the group with six.
Cross needs to stay healthy and capitalize on any chances for more reps. It will be very difficult to break through an already crowded room without an unexpected opportunity.
Roster odds: 10%