Cincinnati Bengals lose running back Jeremy Hill to New England Patriots

The Cincinnati-New England connection will continue in 2018 as ESPN reported that Jeremy Hill, the Bengals' season-opening starter at running back the last three years, has signed a 1-year, $1.5 million free agent contract with the New England Patriots. Hill only received a $150,000 signing bonus. He will get an additional $18,750 per game if he's active on the 46-man roster for the Patriots. 

Hill rejoins Rex Burkhead in an offensive backfield, as Burkhead left the Bengals for the Patriots before the start of last year and re-signed this week.

Hill tweeted at Burkhead, "Just like old times @RBrex2022 let’s get it"

Patriots special teams ace James Develin also played for the Bengals. In the past few years former Bengal tight end Matt Lengel and linebacker Marquis Flowers have suited up for New England.

Hill essentially ended his career with the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2017 season when he elected to have season-ending ankle surgery, but now it appears Hill has officially moved on.

The 25-year-old running back was technically a starter for his seven games in 2017 but once Marvin Lewis decided to totally turn the reins of the running game over to Joe Mixon, Hill determined it was in his best interest to have a lingering ankle problem surgically repaired.

He tweeted a goodbye to Cincinnati in January, and now he will look to establish himself under head coach Bill Belichick.

Jeremy Hill says goodbye to the Cincinnati Bengals

Drafted in the second round out of LSU in 2014, Hill spurred a playoff push in the second half of that year with a 1,000-yard effort in relief of an injured Giovani Bernard. But in the three years after that breakout performance, he never showed the same burst and power, despite leading the NFL in rushing touchdowns in 2015.

In his four-year career with the Bengals, Hill rushed for 29 career touchdowns, including a league-leading 11 in 2015. He ran for 2,873 yards, averaging 4.1 yards per carry.