Bell returned to Cincinnati for his second Bengals stint in 2024, after spending the '23 season with Carolina ... He played in all 17 games with 11 starts during the 2024 regular season and posted 51 tackles, one TFL, two PDs, one INT, one FF and one FR ... He previously spent three seasons (2020-22) with the Bengals, and lined up for a team-high 96.3 percent (3553 of 3688) of defensive snaps in 48 regular-season starts ... Has been voted a team captain in each of his four total Bengals seasons ... Also has started seven postseason games for Cincinnati and contributed to several marquee plays, highlighted by INT in overtime of AFC Championship game at Kansas City following the 2021 season ... Has 16 career FFs, tied for the 13th-most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2016 ... Originally a second-round draft pick of New Orleans and spent his first four seasons ('16-19) with the Saints prior to signing with the Bengals as an unrestricted free agent in '20.
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, one 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 ... 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), 1.5 sacks, 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 ... 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 and a FR.
2020—Voted a team captain in first season with Bengals and started all 16 games ... Lined up for 100 percent of defensive snaps (1059), and led team with 114 tackles ... Also had 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 forced fumble in first quarter that was recovered by Cincinnati and set up Bengals TD drive.
2021—Team captain played and started 16 regular-season games and all four postseason games for Cincinnati ... 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 ... 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 all three postseason contests for Bengals ... Recorded 77 tackles (53 solos), four TFLs, one sack, eight PDs, career-high four INTs, two FFs and a FR ... 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 pick ending a Dolphins drive in Bengals territory in fourth quarter ... On Dec. 24 at New England, forced a fumble from RB Rhamondre Stevenson at Bengals' five-yard line with 1:05 left in fourth quarter (recovered by Cincinnati); play helped preserve four-point Bengals win ... 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 (quadriceps) and Game 12 (shoulder) ... Totaled 69 tackles (42 solos), one INT and two PDs ... Recorded season-high nine tackles on Oct. 8 at Detroit.
2024—Played in all 17 games with 11 starts for Cincinnati ... Posted 51 tackles (21 solos), one TFL, two PDs, one INT, one FF and one FR ... Also had four special teams tackles ... Lined up for all 59 defensive snaps and tallied nine tackles on Sept. 23 vs. Washington ... Lone INT of season came against former team on Sept. 29 at Carolina, when he picked off QB Andy Dalton and returned it 32 yards to set up Bengals first-quarter TD ... On Dec. 22 vs. Cleveland, forced a fumble from RB D'Onta Foreman and recovered it at Bengals' one-yard line, preventing a Browns TD on opening drive of the game.
Spent three seasons (2013-15) at Ohio State ... Recorded 176 tackles, nine INTs, 24 PDs and two FRs ... Named first-team All-American (AP) and semifinalist for Jim Thorpe Award (nation's top DB) as a junior in 2015 ... In 2014 sophomore season, started 14 games and had 92 tackles (second on team) for Ohio State 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 5A state runner-up as a senior ... Began his high school career at Central High School in Chattanooga ... His father, Vincent, played OLB at Murray State.
Last Updated February 2025
