Where Bengals CB Dax Hill's ACL Rehab Stands with Training Camp Two Days Away

CINCINNATI – Shortly before members of the Cincinnati Bengals front office and coaching staff put on their sport coats to field questions at the annual pre-camp luncheon, they were seeking their own information on the field.

And they liked the answers they received.

In addition to the rookies, a couple of injured Bengals players took part Monday morning’s workout on the practice fields.

Cornerback Dax Hill was one of them.

“He’s been out there the last two days with the rookies and injured vets, and it’s been great to just see him,” new defensive coordinator Al Golden said. “We might have to load manage him. I’ll leave that up to Zac (Taylor) and the trainers, but from what I’ve seen, he looks great, looks healthy, is doing everything full speed.”

Hill was playing better than any cornerback on the roster when he tore his ACL in Week 5 against Baltimore.

He didn’t participate at all in the offseason program as he worked his way through the latter phases of his rehab.

But he said he felt great and was optimistic that he would be cleared in time for camp, which he has been.

When the Bengals announced their injury list designations late last week, Hill wasn’t among them, which means he’ll participate in Wednesday’s first full-squad practice of training camp.

"That's the plan," he told the team’s website. "They'll ease me into things once everyone is back. No rush. "It seems like I'll be able to perform. We'll see how training camp goes."

Head coach Zac Taylor said Hill will begin with position drills and work his way up to full-squad periods.

"We've seen what we needed to see from him," Taylor said. "He's through all the rehab stuff, so now it's just us progressing him through the football activities."

With the “when” answered, the question turns to “where.”

Hill played safety in 2023 before switching to outside corner last year.

Could another position change be in store with a move to nickel corner this year?

It’s been hard for Golden to discern Hill’s role without seeing him on the field until Saturday.

“He has the flexibility to play inside or outside, and when guys do that, they just make you better. They make you better for the long haul,” Golden said. “We have a static roster for the most part. It’s built for the long haul, and we need to have vertical depth and horizontal depth. We need to have guys that can play corner to nickel. We need guys that play from corner to safety. Dax gives us that.”