Cincinnati signed Davis as a free agent in the 2022 offseason to provide depth along the defensive line ... He has twice been signed to the active roster off the practice squad (once in 2022, once in '23), and each time returned to practice squad following the game ... Davis was not in the NFL for two seasons after originally signing with the N.Y. Jets as a college free agent in 2020, but he played for the Houston Gamblers of the USFL in '22 and had 3.5 sacks ... Is the first player from UNC Pembroke to play in the NFL.
Signed with N.Y. Jets as college free agent on 5-6-20 ... Waived by Jets on 7-30-20 ... Signed with Cincinnati as free agent on 7-25-22 ... Waived by Bengals on 8-30-22 ... Signed to Bengals practice squad on 8-31-22 ... Signed to Bengals roster on 11-5-22 ... Waived by Bengals on 11-7-22 ... Signed to Bengals practice squad on 11-8-22 ... Signed to Bengals roster on 1-31-23 (Reserve/Future) ... Waived by Bengals on 8-29-23 ... Signed to Bengals practice squad on 8-30-23 ... Signed to Bengals roster on 12-22-23 ... Waived by Bengals on 12-25-23 ... Signed to Bengals practice squad on 12-27-23 ... Signed to Bengals roster on 1-8-24 (Reserve/Future).
2020—Waived by N.Y. Jets prior to start of training camp after signing with team as college free agent in May ... Did not play for an NFL team during 2020 season.
2021—Did not play for an NFL team.
2022—Played in 10 games for the Houston Gamblers of the USFL, and totaled 57 tackles with 3.5 sacks ... Signed by Cincinnati as a free agent on July 25 and saw action in all three preseason games ... Played in two regular-season games for the Bengals, recording three tackles ... Spent first seven weeks on Cincinnati's practice squad, before being elevated to the active roster for Week 8 ... Made NFL debut on Oct. 31 at Cleveland, registering two tackles on back-to-back plays in the third quarter ... Signed to the active roster for the Nov. 6 game vs. Carolina, and had one tackle in the fourth quarter of a 42-21 Bengals win ... Waived by Cincinnati following the Carolina game, but the following day was signed to the practice squad, where he spent remainder of regular season and all of postseason.
2023—Spent 16 games on Cincinnati's practice squad ... Signed to active roster for Dec. 23 game at Pittsburgh (active/DNP), then was waived on Dec. 25 and signed back to Bengals' practice squad on Dec. 27 ... Played in all three preseason games (one start at DT), and posted team-leading 12 tackles with one sack and one FR.
Spent three seasons at North Carolina at Pembroke (2017-19) ... Played in 31 games and totaled 123 tackles (51 solos), with six sacks and 15 TFLs ... Also had one PD and two FRs ... Redshirted his freshman season at Shaw University (N.C.) in 2014.
Hometown is Laurinburg, N.C. ... Attended Scotland High School ... Earned all-region honors as a junior and senior ... As a senior, registered 54 tackles, with four sacks and 16 TFLs ... Helped lead Scotland to a combined 27-3 record over final two seasons ... Majored in exercise and sports science at North Carolina at Pembroke.
NOTE ABOUT NFL EXPERIENCE: Davis did not earn an accrued year of experience toward NFL free agency in 2020, '21, '22 or '23.
