Sheldon

Rankins

The contract contains $12 million in guarantees per Mike Garafolo, likely tabbing it as a significant raise for Rankins after he signed a one-year prove-it deal in 2025. Rankins has done his best work with the Texans over the past few years and finished with a 70.8 PFF defensive grade in 2025.

Rankins, who can earn up to $7 million on this deal, spent the 2023 season with the Texans, where he totaled 37 tackles and six sacks. Last season, Rankins joined the Bengals on a two-year deal, but an illness-filled season limited him to just seven games and led to him being released at season’s end. Now back with the Texans, Rankins will hope he can replicate one of the better years of his career in DeMeco Ryans’ defense.

Rankins was with the Texans in 2023 and Houston lost a bidding war with the Bengals in the 2024 offseason to bring him back. After being released by the Bengals following a disappointing 2024 season where he was placed on the reserve/non-football illness list, it appears the Texans believe the veteran still has something left entering his age-31 season. Wilson reports that Rankins has interest from “multiple NFL teams” and thus, he may get a real contract.

Following a disappointing 2024 season, the Bengals have opted to part ways with Rankins. After signing a two-year, $24.5 million contract last offseason, multiple injuries and an illness limited Rankins to just seven games (all starts) of action. Per Over the Cap, the move will save the Bengals $9.6 million against the salary cap. Rankins, who turns 31 in April, was drafted in the first round by the Saints in 2016 and has also spent time with the Texans and Jets. He’s recorded 30.5 career sacks during his nine NFL seasons, and should still have something to offer a roster in need of depth along the d-line.

He’ll miss at least the next four games. Rankins has been listed as out with an illness for several weeks, he hasn’t practiced since Week 11. Hopefully whatever Rankins has isn’t as serious as that makes it sound, but his first year with the Bengals was brought to an abrupt halt thanks to the injury. He finishes the regular season with seven starts, one sack, and 10 solo tackles. Bengals beat reporters seem to believe Rankins will be released and has played his last snaps with the team.

The Bengals will be rather thin along the defensive line for the sixth consecutive game, with Sam Hubbard also joining Rankins on the sidelines. The Bengals face off with the Broncos in a must-win game to hold onto hope for a playoff bid.

The Bengals’ inactives are headlined by LT Orlando Brown Jr., who will miss another game due to a fibula injury. Cody Ford has been starting in Brown’s place, but he will also miss this game due to an illness. Meanwhile, DT Sheldon Rankins is set to miss his fourth straight game due to an illness. The Bengals’ depth in the trenches will be tested Week 15 against the Titans.

Rankins has missed the previous two games with an illness and will now miss his third straight, denting the Cincinnati run defense in the process. That is less of an issue against a Cowboys team that has struggled to move the football on the ground, but the team will surely miss his services in the trenches.

Rankins is out with an illness and Logan Wilson has a knee injury. Those are both meaningful losses for the Bengals defense, especially against the run from Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren.

Linebacker Logan Wilson is questionable after being added to the injury report with a knee issue this week. Not that the Steelers needed to be asked twice to run the football, but a handful of injuries to Cincy’s front-seven will do the trick anyway. Wilson leads the Bengals in tackles. Rankins has missed a few games this year, limiting him to one sack and one TFL in seven starts.