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Another former Bengals running back is signing with the Patriots.
Jeremy Hill is signing with New England after visiting the team on Friday, per Field Yates.
Source: the Patriots are signing former Bengals RB Jeremy Hill.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 16, 2018
Per Ben Volin, Hill is getting a 1-year deal worth $1.5 million. Only $150,000 of that is guaranteed.
Patriots RB Jeremy Hill got a 1-year, $1.5m deal with $150k guaranteed (his signing bonus). Has a $1m base salary, a $50k workout bonus and $300k in per-game roster bonuses ($18,750) per game active. Will have a salary cap number of $1.33m
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) March 19, 2018
Hill was a second round pick by the Bengals in the 2014 NFL Draft. He came out of LSU in the same class as Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. Hill fell out of favor with the Bengals after one great and three lackluster seasons, the final one of which ended with him going on Injured/Reserve due to an ankle injury. Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis seemed to throw Hill under the bus as he elected to have season-ending ankle surgery that the Bengals’ medical staff did not think was necessary. The team doctors felt he could play through the injury and get surgery after the season was over. But in the midst of a losing season, Hill chose his health over the team and called it a year.
In doing so, he also called it a career with the Bengals who were ready to move on without him. In four years with the Bengals, Hill accumulated 2,873 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns on 704 rushing attempts. He also added 67 catches for 448 yards and 1 receiving touchdown. His rookie year was incredible and gave Bengals fans hope for his future, but following that 2014 season, Hill never found the same success other than in games against the Browns. Heading into the 2015 season Hill received so much hype to the point where people thought he could be nearly as good as Le’Veon Bell. That proved to be far from the truth as he averaged 3.6, 3.8 and 3.1 yards per carry in 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively.
Bengals fans may remember Hill most for fumbling in the final minutes of the January 2016 wildcard playoff game against the Steelers. Many also credit that fumble for the loss. Though, we all know what happened at the end of that game and everyone has their own perspective on it.
While Hill has played his final snap for the Bengals, he’ll now be joining fellow former Cincinnati running back Rex Burkhead in New England. Burkhead originally joined the Patriots last year and re-signed with New England yesterday on a three-year, $9.75 million deal.