Bengals Player Profile: McKinnley Jackson feeling all the pressure after several additions at defensive tackle
Very few players on the Cincinnati Bengals’ 90-man roster have as much pressure on them as McKinnley Jackson has on his shoulders. Jackson needs a spectacular camp and preseason to stand out in a suddenly deep position.
We’re 31 days away from the Cincinnati Bengals’ preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles. Every day leading up to final cuts, we’ll profile a player currently on the Bengals’ 90-man roster. Check out previous player profiles here.
The next player in the series requested a trade last year, but remains with the team.
McKinnley Jackson Player Profile
Age: 24
Year: 3rd
Position: Defensive tackle
College: Texas A&M
Jersey Number: 91
McKinnley Jackson was selected No. 97 in the third round of the 224 NFL Draft by the Bengals. Prior to the NFL, Jackson spent four years (2020-23) at Texas A&M, starting in 26 of the 40 games he played. He was a team captain during his last two seasons with the Aggies, which were both years he played with Shemar Stewart, Cincinnati’s first-round pick from the 2025 draft.
Jackson suffered a knee injury during his first training camp with the Bengals and subsequently missed the first four games of his rookie season. He ended up playing in all 13 games upon his return as Cincy relied heavily on whatever DT depth it had during that year.
It was apparent Jackson didn’t progress during his second offseason in the eyes of the coaching staff as he was fighting for a roster spot in 2025. He made the team, but was inactive for most of the first half of the year. He requested a trade right before the midseason trade deadline and eventually got on the field more often, playing in nine games by the end of the season.
Contract details
Jackson is entering the third year of his four-year, $5,596,312 rookie contract with the Bengals. His base salary for 2026 is $1,303,756, which is also his total cash figure for the season. When adding on his signing bonus proration of $222,511, his salary cap hit for the season is $1,526,267.
Roster outlook
If Jackson was on the bubble this time last year, he’s certainly there now at the start of training camp. Cincinnati signed (Jonathan Allen), traded for (Dexter Lawrence), and drafted (Landon Robinson) a DT this offseason while retaining B.J. Hill and T.J. Slaton Jr. Kris Jenkins Jr., whom was drafted a round ahead of Jackson in 2024, also remains on the roster.
It’s a crowded room for Jackson to stay in, and frankly, the odds point to him getting the boot.
Very few players on the Bengals’ 90-man roster have as much pressure on them as Jackson has on his shoulders. He needs a spectacular camp and preseason to stand out in a suddenly deep position.
Roster odds: 40%