The Bengals have added a local product to their practice squad, signing wide receiver Xavier Johnson.
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Johnson is a Cincinnati native and went to nearby Ohio State, where he went undrafted out of 2024.
Johnson signed with the Bills following the draft and spent his entire rookie season on the Texansâ practice squad without accumulating any NFL stats.
Bengals Dealing With Injuries at Receiver
After spending the majority of his offseason with Houston, Johnson, 26, was placed on injured reserve because of a broken hand and subsequently waived with an injury designation before the start of the regular season.
Now seemingly healthy for the first time since the summer, Johnson will look to carve out a complementary role at wide receiver for the 4-9 Bengals.
Tee Higgins was ruled out for Sundayâs game against the Ravens with a concussion, leaving little depth at the position behind Ja’Marr Chase , Andrei Iosivas and Charlie Jones . Jermaine Burton , a 2024 third-round pick, was released on Monday after being suspended ahead of the teamâs 39-34 loss to the Bills.
Following his first practice with his new team, Johnson called playing for the Bengals âsurreal.â
âThe opportunity is a blessing,â he said, via Bengals on SI . âJust to be in the NFL , let alone play for the team you grew up cheering on.â
He added: âIâm coming in here with the mindset of intentionality, the purpose of getting better. Iâm gonna come in here and play my role and practice as hard as I can.â
Johnson Began College Career as a Walk-On
Johnson began his college career as a running back before converting to receiver. In five seasons at Ohio State, including three as a receiver, he caught 26 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns in addition to rushing for 353 yards and a score on 44 carries.
He initially joined the Buckeyes as a walk-on after attending Summit Country Day School in Cincinnati.
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