Bengals Player Profile: Jordan Jefferson needs to prove his value on his third team in as many years
The Cincinnati Bengals added Jordan Jefferson last year when its interior defensive line depth was tested. He will now be tested in a heated battle at defensive tackle.
We’re 60 days away from the Cincinnati Bengals’ preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles. Before that game starts and the preseason ends, we’ll have covered every single member of the Bengals’ 90-man roster. Check out previous player profiles here.
Up next in the countdown was a midseason addition for the Bengals last year.
Jordan Jefferson Player Profile
Age: 24
Year: 3rd
Position: Defensive tackle
College: LSU
Jersey Number: 68
Jordan Jefferson was selected with the No. 116 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Originally from LSU and West Virginia, Jefferson spent five years in college with four years at WVU (2019-22) and one season with the Tigers in 2023. He accumulated 90 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss and six sacks in 55 total games. In his lone season at LSU, he recorded a career-best 36 tackles in addition to seven tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
Jacksonville rostered Jefferson throughout the 2024 season. He played in eight games for the Jags, recording 12 tackles and a sack. He was waived during final cuts in 2025 and the San Francisco 49ers claimed him ahead of the regular season. San Fran played in him in game before waiving him after Week 4. The Bengals claimed him a day later and had him on the roster for the remainder of the season. He played in one game, taking 25 snaps against the Chicago Bears in Week 9.
Contract details
Jefferson is entering the third year of a four-year, $4,803,076 contract he originally signed with Jacksonville. His base salary of $1,075,000 is the amount of cash he will earn this year, and it is also his salary cap figure for 2026.
Roster outlook
Cincinnati added Jefferson last year when its interior defensive line depth was tested. The former fourth-rounder’s background made him an intriguing piece to the puzzle, and the company surrounding him has only grown.
Jefferson is currently on the outside looking in at the DT position. He’ll have to fight through fellow 2024 draftees Kris Jenkins Jr. and McKinnley Jackson, and even this year’s seventh-round pick Landon Robinson. He’s been waived multiple times thus far in his career, and he’ll fighting a battle to avoid it from happening again.
Roster odds: 25%