Steelers Now
The Cincinnati Bengals are hosting former Pittsburgh Steelers nose tackle Montravius Adams for a free-agent visit on Monday, according to a report by Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Adams, 29, was released by the Steelers on April 28, after Pittsburgh drafted Derrick Harmon in the first round and Yahya Black in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Adams had been under contract for one more season. He was set to earn $2.25 million in salary with the Steelers in 2025. His release caused an $875,000 dead cap hit, which the Steelers chose to absorb solely during the 2025 season.
The Bengals have veteran B.J. Hill and 2024 draft picks Kris Jenkins Jr. and McKinnley Jackson returning at defensive tackle and also signed T.J. Slaton as a free agent from the Green Bay Packers. The Bengals lost 29024 starter Sheldon Rankins and backup Jay Tufele to free agency earlier this offseason. Cincinnati did not select an interior defensive lineman in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The 6-foot-4, 304-pound Adams joined the Steelers in 2021, when the team signed him from the New Orleans Saints practice squad on Nov. 30. He played in five games for the Steelers down the stretch run of that season, and then became the team’s primary nose tackle the following season.
Adams played in all 17 games and made nine starts in 2022, recording a career-high 26 tackles, one for a loss, and one pass defended. Even after the team drafted Keeanu Benton in 2023, Adams retained a large role after an injury to Cam Heyward kept him out of most of the season. He played in 13 games and made eight starts in 2023, recording 24 tackles, two for a loss, one pass defended and one tackle.
Last season, Adams saw his role reduced. After playing 281 snaps in 2022 and 416 snaps in 2023, he played in just 188 snaps of defense and Heyward remained healthy and returned to his All-Pro form and Benton continued his development. In 11 games, Adams made no starts and finished with 14 tackles, two for a loss and one sack — the first of his Steelers career.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Bengals Set Sights on Former Steelers Defensive Lineman
