Bengals Player Profile: Jalen Davis now defending starting gig after years of fighting for roster spot
The last two years proved tough for Jalen Davis to make the Cincinnati Bengals’ roster, which makes his current standing as a starter all the more impressive.
We’re 33 days away from the Cincinnati Bengals’ preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles. Every member of the Bengals’ 90-man roster will have a profile page leading up to the conclusion of the preseason. Check out previous player profiles here.
The next name on the countdown has been with the Bengals since the beginning of the decade.
Jalen Davis Player Profile
Age: 30
Year: 6th
Position: Cornerback
College: Utah State
Jersey Number: 35
Jalen Davis was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Miami Dolphins following the 2018 NFL Draft. Prior to the NFL, Davis spent four years (2014-17) at Utah State, starting 49 games and setting a school record with 48 passes defensed.
Miami kept Davis on its practice squad for most of his rookie season while elevating him for three games. He spent 2019 and most of 2020 in Arizona, playing a handful of games for the Cards, before ending up in Cincinnati in the middle of the season. The Bengals rostered him from 2021-23 and he appeared in 44 games, mostly as a special-teamer. He spent all but two games of the 2024 season on the practice squad and spent most of 2025 there as well.
Cincy elevated Davis for two games in the middle of last season and eventually signed him to the roster for the final five weeks. He started three of those games, but played 270 snaps as the club’s main slot defender, the most he’s played on defense in a season. Even in the games he didn’t “start,” he was the one the Bengals turned to when Dax Hill was moved to the boundary following Cam Taylor-Britt’s season-ending injury.
Contract details
Davis signed a one-year, $1,575,000 contract extension this offseason to stay in Cincinnati. His base salary for 2026 is $1,300,000, and he also received $100,000 as a signing bonus. He earned $20,000 as a workout bonus, and can make $150,000 in per game roster bonuses. Because he only played in seven games last year, 58.8% of his per game roster bonuses don’t count against the salary cap this year, which is why his cap hit is $1,486,765 instead of the full $1,575,000 figure.
Roster outlook
The last two years proved tough for Davis to make the roster, which makes his current standing all the more impressive. The Bengals value what the veteran nickelback did as a starter to close out last season, and would be comfortable having him as their Week 1 starter at the position this season.
Competition will come first. Davis must fend off Ja’Sir Taylor and Bralyn Lux for the job. Should one of the other two win, I still would think Davis makes it as the backup.
It’s his job, and roster spot, to lose.
Roster odds: 97%