Sheldon Rankins, a defensive tackle, has signed a two-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals, the organization announced on Monday. The Cincinnati Enquirer stated that the transaction is valued at $26 million. Rankins, who turns 30 on April 2, spent his one and only season with the Houston Texans in 2023 as an unrestricted free agent. In 15 games (all starts), he recorded 37 tackles, 6 sacks, 9 tackles for loss, and 10 quarterback hits. Rankins, a Louisville native, was chosen by the New Orleans Saints with the 12th overall choice in the 2016 NFL Draft. In 109 regular-season games (66 starts), he has appeared for the Saints (2016–2020), New York Jets (2021–22), and Texans. He has totaled 228 tackles, 29.5 sacks, 43 tackles for loss, 68 quarterback hits, five forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.
