Keeping Sam Hubbard On The Roster In 2025 Would Be Malpractice
Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
I have attended many Cincinnati Bengals games in my day. The loudest I have ever heard the stadium was in January of 2023, when Sam Hubbard ran 98 yards for arguably the greatest single play in Bengals history. Nearly 70,000 fans were screaming like they wanted to destroy their vocal cords, but I was not one of them. Instead, during the entirety of Hubbard’s runback, I stood in my seat, mouth completely agape. I couldn’t make a sound until the moment he reached the end zone, and that’s when I joined in the chorus.
Sam Hubbard takes the fumble 98 yards for the TD ‼️
📺: #BALvsCIN on NBC
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/hNJJJGqxGF pic.twitter.com/PoVImXrfpz— NFL (@NFL) January 16, 2023
It remains the one time the Bengals left me utterly speechless. To this day, when Mike Tirico calls Hubbard “The Cincinnati Kid” on the replay, it’s as if onions are being cut in the vicinity. I picture going up to that kid who attended Bengals games with his grandfather and saying “Someday, you’re going to score the game-winning 98-yard touchdown in the playoffs for the Bengals.” That’s dream-come-true shit.
I will always be fond of Hubbard’s time in Cincinnati. He was a core player on the field and an integral part of the community off the field. He is not only the longest-tenured Bengal, but he’s also the last player remaining on the Bengals’ roster from the Marvin Lewis Era. He was the key discussion point among local moms at 94% of Cincinnati’s Pure Romance parties. The 2018 NFL Draft paid dividends for the Bengals’ defensive line, given Hubbard’s third-round selection, along with first-round bust Billy Price getting traded for BJ Hill at the exact right time.
However, all good things must come to an end. Hubbard severely regressed in 2024, and even if playing through an injury is a mitigating factor, he is not getting any younger. For the long-term benefit of the team, the Bengals have to let go of Hubbard.
Sam Hubbard was good. Sam Hubbard isn’t even replacement level anymore. He’s local. I love what he did here. It’s time to part ways. If he wants to retire and get into coaching then hire him tomorrow. He cannot be on this roster anymore. His time is done.
— DarthNoobSaibot (@DarthNoobSaibot) January 16, 2025
Hubbard’s 2025 cap hit is slated to be north of $11 million, which is the fifth-highest on the team. For a team that gravely needs an impactful pass rusher opposite of Trey Hendrickson, his 2024 pass-rush grade of 47.6 — which ranked 202nd out of 211 eligible pass rushers — does not justify a starting job in 2025. The Bengals’ defense was one of the worst in the NFL last season, particularly during Hubbard’s time on the active roster. When Hubbard went down for the season due to injury, Joseph Ossai and Myles Murphy both rotated in, and the Bengals’ pass rush improved almost instantly.
Joseph Ossai had 5 sacks in the final 7 games of the regular season#GetPaid 💰
— Drake Burton (@bengalsdrake) January 5, 2025
While there is, and will always be, a vast portion of Bengals fans who feel all lovey-dovey inside when No. 94 is on the roster, his high 2025 salary and $2 million dead cap hit make him a prime cut candidate. The team has seen Joe Burrow put public pressure on the organization to pay the Bengals’ most elite players, and the money freed up by releasing Hubbard would help to accomplish that goal. Even if playing through an injury makes him a hero to the citizens of Cincinnati who long for the days when football required mud-covered jerseys and missing teeth, the performance of his backups proved that Hubbard’s best days are long behind him.
It’s not personal, and it’s not just Hubbard. Cincinnati needs to get younger all across the defense, and moves have been made to start doing as such. Sheldon Rankins was swiftly shown the door after his hefty salary and poor health did not justify a roster spot. Vonn Bell, another player that Bengals fans have a deep emotional attachment to, lost reps to Jordan Battle throughout the year, and rightfully so. Between Rankins’ departure, Bell losing reps, and Germaine Pratt likely being dealt before the 2025 season, letting go of Hubbard is not only a necessary step, but a logical one.
The Bengals have plenty of opportunity to get younger and fresher on their defensive line, particularly in a 2025 NFL Draft that has an embarrassment of riches in the trenches. Players like Mike Green, Nic Scourton, James Pearce Jr., and Jack Sawyer (aka, Sam Hubbard Jr.) are all potential edge-rushing candidates for Cincinnati in the first round. For a Bengals team that badly needs to improve in the defensive front, letting go of Hubbard and swooping up their next long-term solution is crucial. It’s heartbreaking to say, but keeping Hubbard on the roster next season, especially when the Bengals need as much money as possible to pay the core of star players, would be malpractice.
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