Sam Hubbard was born and raised in Cincinnati, played his college football at Ohio State and then was drafted by the Bengals in 2018. He’s now walking away from football and saying goodbye to the Bengals, if not to his hometown.
Hubbard announced today that he is retiring from the NFL at the age of 29.
“In my heart, I know that I gave this game, this team, and this city everything that I had,” Hubbard wrote on social media. “That is why today, with great pride, I am announcing that I am moving on from my playing career in the NFL and entering the next chapter of my life. As a kid growing up in Southwest Ohio, Cincinnati has always been, and will always be, home to my family and me. I bled orange and black before I ever put on a Bengals jersey. The journey that took me from a high school lacrosse player up 71-North to become a defensive end at The Ohio State University and back home again as a Bengals third-round pick in 2018, is something for which I am grateful for every day. From a draft pick to a starter, a 4x captain, and a guy who made a few plays along the way, we accomplished things that will never be forgotten. Breaking the 31-year playoff win drought, winning an AFC championship, back-to-back AFC North championships, a trip to the Super Bowl, and countless other memories. I woke up every day determined to give the fans something they could be proud of, cheer, and unite behind.”
Hubbard made one of the greatest plays in Bengals history two years ago when he recovered a fumble and raced 98 yards for the decisive touchdown in a 24-17 playoff win over the Ravens. But he said he hopes he’s remembered mostly as someone who made a difference to his community.
“This city gave me a purpose beyond football,” Hubbard said. “Through the Sam Hubbard Foundation, I’ve tried to lift up Cincinnati the way you’ve lifted me. Your support and the impact we have had together have shown me that community and love outweigh any trophy. Being nominated twice for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award is my proudest accomplishment.”
The window has closed. The tags have been applied.
All two of them.
Although it seemed on the front end that zero franchise tags could be applied for the first time since 2001, the tagging of Chiefs guard Trey Smith and Bengals receiver Tee Higgins results in the lowest total number (via Spotrac.com) since one franchise tag was used in 2006, by the Bills on cornerback Nate Clements.
Last year, eight players were tagged. The most tags were used in 2012, when 18 players received the franchise tag — including five kickers and a punter.
For Smith and Higgins, their teams have until July 15 to sign them to multi-year contracts. Until they accept the tag, they are not under contract and in turn have no obligation to report for mandatory minicamp or training camp. They can wait until just before the start of the season, show up, and receive the full amount of their franchise tender.
The risk, of course, is that the team will rescind the tag. It hasn’t happened often. Most recently, the Panthers removed the tag from cornerback Josh Norman in 2016.
The franchise tagging deadline has passed and there are officially only two players who won’t hit the open market.
Just Bengals receiver Tee Higgins and Chiefs guard Trey Smith were tagged in 2025.
Cincinnati and Kansas City have both indicated that the respective clubs are interested in retaining Higgins and Smith on a long-term deal.
The franchises have until July 15 at 4 p.m. ET to work out a long-term contract. Otherwise, the players will once again be slated to hit unrestricted free agency in March 2026.
Higgins and Smith were No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, on PFT’s list of top 100 free agents this offseason.
Higgins, who was also franchise tagged in 2024, is slated to make $26.2 million on the franchise tender in 2025.
Smith will earn $23.4 million on the franchise tender in 2025.
A second-round pick in 2020, Higgins caught 73 passes for 911 yards with a career-high 10 touchdowns in 12 games last season.
The Chiefs selected Smith in the sixth round of the 2021 draft. He’s started 67 out of a possible 68 regular-season games since entering the league, becoming a first-time Pro Bowler in 2024.
The Bengals have tagged receiver Tee Higgins for the second straight year. The next question is whether they’ll make good on their stated intention to turn the tag into a long-term deal.
The thing about intentions is that they can, and often do, change. If someone makes the Bengals a suitable offer, will they decide to trade him?
It happens. Last year, the Chiefs tagged and traded cornerback L’Jarius Snead.
Trading Higgins would free up $26.16 million in cap space and, perhaps more importantly for the Bengals, in cold, hard cash. With receiver Ja’Marr Chase surely looking for a long-term deal with a new-money average at or in excess of $40 million per year, they need that money to keep the guy who won the receiving triple crown in 2025.
The Bengals rarely turn a franchise tag into an extension. (In the attached video, I said they’ve only ever done it with receiver Carl Pickens, who was cut after the first year of the deal. I was wr-wr-wr-mistaken. They extended running back Rudi Johnson after tagging him in 2005.) And, as explained in the video and earlier, the fact that Higgins can make $26.16 million in 2025 and then become a free agent makes it even more expensive to get him to trade in the bird in the hand.
While it’s legitimate and permissible to trade a tagged player, there’s a separate problem. Quarterback Joe Burrow expects the Bengals to find a way to keep Chase and Higgins and defensive end Trey Hendrickson. If they trade Higgins, they’ll have some explaining to do to their most important player.
The Bengals have their hands full, trying to get receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins and edge rusher Trey Hendrickson signed to long-term extensions. They used the franchise tag on Higgins on Monday, giving them more time to either trade him or sign him to a long-term agreement.
That means some of their other players will hit the free agent market next week.
Cornerback Mike Hilton appears to be one of those.
Hilton tweeted, “New opportunities always present themselves,” with a prayerful hands emoji.
Hilton, 30, is 46th on PFT’s top-100 list.
He joined the Bengals in 2021 as an unrestricted free agent, signing a four-year, $24 million deal after four years in Pittsburgh.
In 64 games with the Bengals, including 36 starts, Hilton totaled 283 tackles, two sacks, 36 tackles for loss, one fumble recovery and six interceptions.
