Jonathan Allen (knee) will play vs. Steelers

Fellow defensive tackle B.J. Hill (Achilles) was also held out of practice. He missed Week 2 and looks likely to sit for at least one more game. Cincy signed Allen to a two-year deal in the offseason. He has already made a big impact with one sack in each of his first two games.

Allen, 31, led the Vikings with 411 pass-rushing snaps last season. He generated 34 quarterback pressures and four sacks via an 8.7% quarterback pressure rate. The Bengals’ defensive personnel needs more upgrades, but pairing Allen with incumbent DT B.J. Hill gives them a decent interior pass-rushing duo. Allen can earn up to $28 million via incentives.

The Vikings have had to make serious cuts due to salary cap constraints heading into the offseason. Allen joins the line of players headed out the door, saving Minnesota $6.5 million in cap space. The 31-year-old signed a three-year deal with the team last March and tallied 3.5 sacks and 11 quarterback hits in his sole season as a Viking. Allen will have a sizeable market as a veteran interior pass rusher.

Stewart was designated for a return from injured reserve last week and will now take the field against the Dolphins this weekend. The rookie pass-rusher has totaled just six tackles in the five games he’s appeared in this season and is still in search of his first career sack. In addition to Stewart, Taylor also said DT B.J. Hill (ankle) will be available to play in Week 16.

Hill was seen in a protective boot earlier this offseason after suffering a foot injury at voluntary workouts. Despite the scare, Golden added that Hill “looks great right now,” suggesting that the eighth-year tackle will be good to go once practices kick off. Hill totaled 56 tackles, three sacks, and seven tackles in the 15 games he appeared in last season and has been a staple along the Bengals’ defensive line since 2021.

Hill was seen in a protective walking boot for his left foot at the Bengals’ voluntary workout session on Tuesday. It seems to be a new injury for the veteran, though it is not yet clear what the injury is. The Bengals just signed Hill to a three-year, $33 million contract in the offseason and will be hoping one of the investments into their defense gets healthy for the start of the regular season.

Minnesota lands one of the most sought-after defensive players in free agency. Allen will join a Vikings defensive line that last season had the NFL’s sixth-highest QB pressure rate and the ninth-highest hurry rate. Pro Football Focus graded Minnesota’s defensive line as the eighth-worst pass-rushing unit in the NFL last year. Allen, 30, totaled 19 tackles and three sacks in eight games last season in Washington while generating 16 pressures. He’ll be an important part of the Vikings defense in 2025.

$16 million of this is guaranteed per Adam Schefter. Hill has played for the Bengals the last four years and been a relatively stable piece inside, notching PFF defensive grades between 67.7 and 70.9 over his tenure in Cincinnati. He has 21 sacks in four seasons with the Bengals. Entering his age-30 season, Hill hasn’t lost a step yet. The Bengals will hope he can hold up for (likely) at least the next two years inside.

Allen’s release from the Commanders was more about the salary cap than his performance. The veteran defensive tackle turned 30 earlier this year, and totaled 19 tackles and three sacks in eight games last season while also generating 16 pressures. He returned from a partially torn pectoral muscle to help the Commanders in their playoff run, and can still help several teams. The Vikings ranked 16th in yards allowed but were a top-five rush defense against the ground game and in points allowed. He’d be a worthwhile upgrade over free-agent Jerry Tillery inside.

Allen was given permission to seek a trade a few weeks ago ahead of his impending release. Nothing materialized and the Commanders cut ties with Allen to save nearly $16.5 million in cap space. The 49ers were in a similar situation with defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, who will be officially released with a post-June 1 designation at the start of the new league year next week. Now in need of extra firepower on the defensive line, Allen makes sense as a target for a contending 49ers squad. Allen missed nine games with a partially torn last year. He tallied three sacks and four TFLs across 11 appearances including the postseason.