Bell returned to Cincinnati for his second Bengals stint in 2024, after spending the '23 season with Carolina ... He previously spent three seasons (2020-22) with the Bengals, serving as a team captain and key piece of Lou Anarumo's defense in all three ... In 13 games with the Panthers last season (all starts), he ranked third on the team in tackles (69) and had two PDs ... During his three previous Bengals seasons, he played a team-high 96.3 percent (3553 of 3688) of defensive snaps in 48 regular-season starts ... Had eight FFs from 2020-22, the eighth-most in the NFL in that span, along with five INTs and 288 total tackles ... Also has started seven postseason contests for the Bengals and contributed to several marquee plays ... Picked off Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes in overtime of AFC Championship game following the 2021 season, setting up game-winning drive that sent Cincinnati to Super Bowl LVI ... Originally a second-round draft pick if New Orleans in 2016, and spent his first four NFL seasons ('16-19) with the Saints prior to signing with the Bengals as an unrestricted free agent in '20 ... Played collegiately at Ohio State, where he helped team to a national championship in 2014.
Selected by New Orleans in second round of NFL Draft (61st overall) on 4-29-16 ... Signed with Saints on 5-11-16 ... Saints contract expired on 3-18-20; became unrestricted free agent ... Signed as unrestricted free agent with Cincinnati on 3-26-20 ... Bengals contract expired on 3-15-23; became unrestricted free agent ... Signed with Carolina as unrestricted free agent on 3-21-23 ... Contract terminated by Panthers on 3-13-24 ... Signed with Cincinnati as free agent on 3-15-24.
2016—Played in all 16 games (14 starts) as a rookie for New Orleans ... Totaled 83 tackles, a sack, four PDs, two FFs and a FR ... Also had four tackles on special teams ... Made first career start on Sept. 18 at the N.Y. Giants and logged 10 tackles ... Recorded nine tackles and a FF on Oct. 2 at San Diego ... On Nov. 6 at San Francisco, recorded six tackles, a half sack and a FR.
2017—Played all 16 games (10 starts) for New Orleans, and totaled team-leading 78 tackles, with 4.5 sacks (led all NFL DBs), two PDs and two FFs ... Also had career-high five special team tackles ... On Nov. 19 vs. Washington, recorded career-high 13 tackles, including sack/fumble on QB Kirk Cousins that sealed OT win ... Started two postseason games and led team with 17 tackles.
2018—Played in all 16 games (eight starts) for New Orleans ... Totaled 87 tackles (second on team), a sack, three PDs, a FF and a FR ... On Thanksgiving night vs. Atlanta, posted seven tackles and a FR ... Started both postseason games, totaling seven tackles and a PD.
2019—Played and started 13 games for New Orleans ... Inactive for final three regular-season games due to a knee injury ... Totaled 86 tackles (second on team), including 1.5 sacks, and had one INT, five PDs, two FFs and an NFL-best five FRs (one returned for a TD) ... On Sept. 22 at Seattle, recovered a fumble by RB Chris Carson and returned it 33 yards for first-career TD ... Had 10 tackles two FRs on Sept. 29 vs. Dallas, with second setting up a Saints FG in a 12-10 win ... Posted season-high 12 tackles with a sack in final game played during regular season on Dec. 8 vs. San Francisco ... Returned from injury to start Divisional Playoff vs. Minnesota, and recorded seven tackles along with FR that set up Saints FG drive in first quarter.
2020—Voted a team captain in first season with Bengals and started all 16 games ... Only player to play every possible snap on either offense or defense (1059 defensive snaps) ... Logged team-high 114 tackles, along with five PDs, three FFs and two FRs ... Tallied season-high 14 tackles and had one PD on Nov. 22 at Washington ... Recorded seven tackles in win over Pittsburgh on Dec. 21, and had signature play of the game when he laid a big hit on Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster and forced a fumble, which the Bengals recovered and later converted into a TD.
2021—Team captain played and started 16 regular-season games and all four postseason games for Cincinnati ... Led team in defensive snaps played (1004 of possible 1124) during regular season, and played all but two of possible 274 snaps in postseason ... Posted 97 tackles (second on team), a half sack, an INT, eight PDs and a FR ... Tied for team lead with nine tackles on Oct. 10 vs. Green Bay, including three for losses ... On Oct. 31 at the N.Y. Jets, forced and recovered a fumble on WR Jamison Crowder to set up a Bengals FG drive ... In overtime of AFC Championship at Kansas City, picked off a deep pass from QB Patrick Mahomes and returned it seven yards, setting up game-winning FG drive ... Started Super Bowl LVI against the L.A. Rams and had seven tackles, including one for a loss.
2022—Team captain started all 16 regular-season games and three postseason contests for Bengals ... Played team-high 1023 of a possible 1035 defensive snaps in regular season ... Recorded 77 tackles (53 solos), with four TFLs and one sack, eight PDs, career-high four INTs, two FFs and a FR ... Four INTs were more than combined total in previous six career seasons (two) ... Had seven tackles on Sept. 18 at Dallas, and forced a fumble in Cincinnati territory that Bengals recovered in third quarter ... Had two INTs on Thursday Night Football win over Miami on Sept. 29, with second ending Dolphins drive in Bengals territory in fourth quarter ... Had game-saving play on Dec. 24 at New England, when he forced a fumble from RB Rhamondre Stevenson at Bengals' five-yard line (recovered by DT B.J. Hill) with 1:05 left to play and Bengals up by four points ... Had 17 tackles, one TFL and one sack in postseason.
2023—Played and started 13 games for Carolina ... Inactive for four games due to injuries — Games 6-8 (quad) and Game 12 (shoulder) ... Totaled 69 tackles (42 solos), one INT and two PDs ... On Sept. 18 vs. New Orleans, intercepted QB Derek Carr in the second quarter and returned it 11 yards ... Logged season-high nine tackles on Oct. 8 at Detroit.
Spent three years (2013-15) at Ohio State ... Posted career totals of 176 tackles, nine INTs, 24 PDs and two FRs ... First-team All-American (AP) as junior, and semifinalist for Jim Thorpe Award (nation's top DB) ... As sophomore in 2014, started 14 games and had 92 tackles (second on team) for OSU team that won national championship in first-ever College Football Playoff.
Hometown is Rossville, Ga. (outside Chattanooga, Tenn.) ... Attended Ridgeland High School in Rossville, where as a senior he totaled 146 tackles and three INTs on defense, and 1700 all-purpose yards and 21 TDs on offense ... Helped Ridgeland to 13-2 record and Georgia Class AAAA state runner-up finish as a senior ... Began his high school career at Central High School in Chattanooga ... His father, Vincent, played OLB at Murray State.
