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Mike Hilton

Dolphins Set 53-Man Roster, Begin Search For Kicker

August 26th, 2025 at 9:39pm CST by Ely Allen

The Dolphins got their roster down to 53 players this afternoon and, in the process, officially placed kicker Jason Sanders on IR. Here are the rest of the team’s moves:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Waived (with injury settlement):

Placed on IR (designated for return):

Placed on reserve/PUP:

In four seasons with the team, Eichenberg has started at every position on the offensive line. The Dolphins will miss his versatility while he’s out, but head coach Mike McDaniel confirmed recently that Eichenberg’s injury is not a season-ending one.

Sanders’ hip injury landed him on injured reserve, meaning Miami will be without him for at least the first month of the season. To deal with his absence, the Dolphins hosted four veteran kickers — Zane Gonzalez, Greg Joseph, Riley Patterson, and Eddy Pineiro — for tryouts today, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Besides that, there weren’t many surprises in the cuts today. Tindall had been a core special teamer for each of his first three years in Miami but may have to find his way to the field through the practice squad. According to Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network, Murphy had a really strong summer with the team and should be back on the practice squad, as long as he clears waivers.

Colts To Host CB Mike Hilton

August 26th, 2025 at 3:37pm CST by Adam La Rose

Mike Hilton found himself amongst the Dolphins’ roster cuts yesterday. A long stay on the open market may not be needed this time, however.

Hilton has lined up a visit with the Colts for tomorrow, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. A workout in Indianapolis will take place, and a deal could be struck shortly thereafter. Per Schultz, a mutual interest exists for an agreement in this case.

It would come as little surprise if Hilton were to wind up with the Colts. He has four years of experience working with Lou Anarumo dating back to their time together in Cincinnati. Anarumo was the Bengals’ defensive coordinator during that span, and he is now at the helm of the Colts’ defense.

Injuries in the secondary have been an issue for Indianapolis this offseason, so the prospect of additions well into the summer has been consistent. Xavien Howard is set to return to the NFL after sitting out the 2024 campaign. He too is a familiar face to Anarumo. As an illustration of the team’s uncertain situation at the CB spot, Howard could step into a starting role despite only signing last week.

Hilton, on the other hand, would not be expected to handle a first-team role if he joined the team. The 31-year-old has operated in the slot for much of his career, but the Colts already have Kenny Moore to handle those duties. Hilton could serve as a veteran backup option, though, as a veteran of 123 games. Hilton is free to sign at any time, and it will be interesting to see how tomorrow’s workout goes. It could produce an agreement on the active roster of Indianapolis’ initial practice squad.

Dolphins To Release CB Mike Hilton

August 25th, 2025 at 9:43am CST by Adam La Rose

Mike Hilton‘s lengthy free agency ended with a Dolphins agreement. The veteran corner is not in position to spend the 2025 season in Miami, however.

Hilton was informed of his release by the Dolphins today, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. After signing in July, the former Steeler and Bengal seemed to be slated for a notable role in the slot. Barring a return via a practice squad agreement, though, that will not be the case.

Cornerback has been a question mark for Miami throughout the offseason, one in which Kendall Fuller was released before Jalen Ramsey was traded away. Season-ending injuries to Kader Kohou and Artie Burns added further urgency to the need for summer additions, and Hilton was signed alongside Jack Jones. That pact came after Hilton spoke with the Dolphins earlier and the 31-year-old noted he expected to wind up in South Beach.

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes Hilton was listed as a starter on the Dolphins’ depth chart upon arrival. He did not spend much time with the first-team defense during practice, however, something which could help explain today’s move. Fifth-round rookie Jason Marshall is now in position to handle starting slot duties.

Hilton received a $168K signing bonus when he joined the Dolphins. Miami will thus generate a dead money charge of that amount with this release. The team will create $1.03MM in cap space by cutting Hilton, though. It will be interesting to see how Miami approaches the next few days at the cornerback position.

Once Hilton’s release is official, he will reach free agency. The eight-year veteran has 56 starts to his name, so a market could exist for his services as teams arrange their depth charts in advance of Week 1.

AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Pats, Myers, Bills

July 30th, 2025 at 3:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

Zach Sieler is not holding in at Dolphins practice, but the veteran defensive lineman has let it be known he is seeking a new contract. Tied to a three-year, $30.75MM extension, Sieler has delivered a considerable return for the Dolphins by posting back-to-back 10-sack seasons — for a team decimated at the edge rusher positions.

“I do feel like I want to get,” Sieler said, via the Miami Herald’s Omar Kelly. “I do feel that respect coming. I think I’ve earned it. I know I’ve earned it.”

The interior defender, though, is signed for two more seasons. Dolphins GM Chris Grier has bent on a few occasions to extension-chasing players with more than a year left on their deals. Grier rewarded Xavien Howard, Tyreek Hill and Jalen Ramsey in doing so. The Howard and Ramsey decisions burned the Dolphins, as substantial dead money emerged following their respective exits. Sieler signed his extension shortly before the first of those 10-sack seasons. Set to turn 30 in September and sitting 31st in AAV among interior D-linemen, the former seventh-rounder is looking to capitalize on his performance and cash in while still in his prime.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

  • The Dolphins brought in Mike Hilton and Jack Jones at cornerback, but they have lost Kader Kohou and Artie Burns for the season. Hilton had spoken with the Dolphins months ago. The former Steelers and Bengals slot corner expected to draw more interest, but he is now 31. He still expected to wind up in Miami, via ESPN.com’s Marcel Louis-Jacques.
  • Hilton arrived after multiple instances of Dolphins-Rasul Douglas negotiations. The Douglas talks would pertain more to Jones, who is an outside CB. Douglas remains in free agency after rejecting a Dolphins offer, The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson reports. Ranked behind veteran corners D.J. Reed, Byron Murphy, Carlton Davis and Charvarius Ward in PFR’s top 50, Douglas has been tied to the Dolphins and Seahawks and, per Anderson, has received more interest lately. It should be expected the soon-to-be 30-year-old DB signs somewhere soon, but his value will not approach the three-year, $21MM Packers deal he inked in 2022.
  • The Dolphins signed James Daniels after an Achilles tear, and they do not have top interior backup Liam Eichenberg available yet. The versatile O-lineman is weeks away from returning from the active/PUP list, Mike McDaniel said (via Jackson). McDaniel confirmed this issue is “not a season-ender.” The Dolphins re-signed Eichenberg (one year, $2.25MM) after seeing Isaiah Wynn miss all of last season due to a 2023 injury. Wynn is no longer on the roster, but second-round pick Jonah Savaiinaea is set to replace Eichenberg in Miami’s lineup.
  • Good news for the Patriots, who have seen their new DC (Terrell Williams) return to work at camp. A spring health scare sidelined Williams, but the Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi notes he is back ahead of his first year as a coordinator.
  • Josh Myers did not see his four years of starter experience lead to a noteworthy free agency deal, reminding of Teven Jenkins‘ market. The four-year Packers center starter, who received just $2MM from the Jets, did say (via SNY’s Connor Hughes) the team informed him upon signing he would move into a center competition with incumbent Joe Tippmann. We heard during OTAs the Jets would put Tippmann — a 2023 second-round pick — in a position battle with Myers, and it is ongoing. Both players are ex-second-round picks, though Myers’ 56 starts better Tippmann’s 31. Pro Football Focus ranked Tippmann eighth last season, slotting Myers in 38th among centers. Two years remain on Tippmann’s rookie deal.
  • Vince Carter does not intend for his Bills ownership stake to bring a silent partnership role. “I’ve sat with the GM, president, owner, the big boss,” Carter said, via the Daytona News-Journal’s Chris Vinel. “I’ve sat with everybody, and we’ve had conversations, and I just listen and learn. I don’t just want to have a name on it. I want to be involved.” While Carter is unlikely to represent the Bills at any owners meetings, he is one of many to take advantage of the NFL loosening restraints on private equity ownership recently.

Dolphins Sign CBs Jack Jones, Mike Hilton

July 26th, 2025 at 9:55pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

After a season-ending injury to Artie Burns, the Dolphins are making two veteran additions to their cornerback room.

The first is former Patriots and Raiders cornerback Jack Jones in a signing made official on Saturday, per a team announcement. Jones started 16 games for the Raiders last season and led the team with three interceptions and 16 passes defended.

The second, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, is veteran slot corner Mike Hilton. Hilton started 23 games over the last two years as the Bengals’ primary nickel, a role he has held in both Cincinnati and Pittsburgh over the last eight seasons.

Cornerback has long been a need for Miami, even before the team traded Jalen Ramsey to the Steelers. Jones primarily plays on the boundary, where he will likely compete for a starting job, while Hilton could be the starting nickel right away if Kader Kohou moves outside. Kohou also appeared to suffer a minor injury in Saturday’s practice, per NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe.

Jones, a 2022 fourth-rounder, began his career with the Patriots and started two games as a rookie. He was cut five games into the 2023 season after disciplinary issues in New England and claimed off waivers by the Raiders. Jones earned a starting job in Las Vegas by the end of the year and continued it into 2024 but was released by the Raiders in April, presumably as part of the roster turnover that comes with regime change.

Originally an undrafted free agent signing by the Steelers, Hilton is one of the league’s most experienced nickels. His 36 career starts don’t properly represent his contributions, as he maintained a snap share around 60% during his four years in Pittsburgh and stayed above 70% for his next four in Cincinnati. His last two seasons were arguably his best, racking up 13 passes defended and 157 tackles with a whopping 24 tackles for loss.

Hilton earned grades of 77.4 and 75.9 from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) in 2023 and 2024, respectively, his two best marks outside of his breakout rookie season. With a slew of younger corners on the roster, however, the Bengals declined to retain Hilton when his contract expired this year.

The Dolphins waived Ryan Cooper Jr. in a corresponding move to their signing of Jones. Cooper appeared in one game for the Ravens last year and finished the season on the Seahawks’ practices squad.

Latest On Raiders’ Secondary Plans

June 23rd, 2025 at 9:01am CST by Adam La Rose

The free agent departures of Tre’von Moehrig and Nate Hobbs created notable vacancies in the secondary for Las Vegas. The team will have a number of new faces in place this year as a result, and training camp will see multiple battles for starting spots take place.

During OTAs, free agent addition Eric Stokes and third-round rookie Darien Porter handled starting duties at the cornerback spots. Those two are in line to remain atop the depth chart through the summer as a result, but other options will content for a fist-team gig. One of those is Jakorian Bennett, whom The Athletic’s Tashan Reed notes is the top contender to earn a starter’s role during training camp (subscription required).

Bennett joined the Raiders as a fourth-round pick in 2023. He notched four starts as a rookie before seeing a notable jump in playing time last year. The 24-year-old logged a 71% snap share on defense, totaling eight pass breakups and managing to avoid allowing a touchdown as the nearest defender in coverage. Bennett has two years remaining on his rookie deal, so he will provide the Raiders with a cost-effective CB option even if he is unable to unseat Stokes and Porter this summer (an effort which will be aided once he recovers in full from a torn labrum suffered in November).

Darnay Holmes – who was only a part-time defender in 2024, his debut season with the Raiders – is in line to handle a notable role in the slot, Reed adds. Vegas could use a number of three-safety looks this season, though, especially given free agent addition Jeremy Chinn‘s tendency to play near the line of scrimmage. In cases where three safeties were used this spring, Lonnie Johnson Jr. came onto the field. The seven-year veteran could therefore find himself handling a notable workload on his latest team.

While the Raiders are not in the market for Jalen Ramsey, they have the cap space to make an addition or two in the secondary. One veteran corner who could be of interest, per Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, is Mike Hilton. The 31-year-old remains on the free agent market with his four-year Bengals run having come to an end. A veteran of 123 games and 56 starts, Hilton would give the Raiders another experienced option in the slot.

Plenty of time remains for the team to make moves affecting the secondary. Regardless of what takes place during the first training camp with the new regime, though, that unit will be one to watch closely.

AFC East Notes: Bills, Wilkins, Hilton, Pats

June 13th, 2025 at 11:25am CST by Sam Robinson

Formerly a GM candidate, Lake Dawson has not come up on the PFR pages since 2019. But the former NFL wide receiver had remained a key presence in the Bills‘ front office. The longtime Brandon Beane lieutenant, however, is no longer with the franchise. Dawson joined Oklahoma’s staff under new Sooners GM Jim Nagy. The SEC program announced Dawson’s addition as senior assistant GM recently. Dawson, 53, played for the Chiefs from 1994-97, being a regular starter during the back half of Marty Schottenheimer‘s tenure. He has nearly 25 years’ worth of experience on the personnel side, moving from the Seahawks to the Titans to the Browns to the Bills. The Panthers twice interviewed Dawson for their GM job before rehiring Marty Hurney in 2018. Dawson turned down an offer to become the Dolphins’ GM in 2014. The former Tennessee VP of player personnel had been Buffalo’s assistant director of college scouting, but he will follow Joe Schoen in leaving the team for another opportunity.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

Mike Hilton Wants To Re-Sign With Bengals

January 2nd, 2025 at 10:34am CST by Adam La Rose

For the past four seasons, Mike Hilton has been a regular presence in the Bengals’ secondary. The pending free agent is looking to continue his career, but it remains to be seen if that will happen in Cincinnati.

“I’ve been here for a long time and really watched this place change a lot,” Hilton said (via Sports Illustrated’s Jay Morrison). “Obviously I would love to finish my career here. But the nature of the business is you never know. When that time comes, we’ll figure it out.”

The former UDFA spent four seasons in Pittsburgh, including the 2020 campaign in which he played on a restricted free agent tender. Hilton hoped to sign a long-term pact, but securing one required an intra-divisional move. The Bengals inked him to a four-year, $24MM deal and he has gone on to provide sold value since then.

Hilton will be playing his age-31 season in 2025, though, and the Bengals could look to younger options as potential replacements. The team has recent draftees Dax Hill, Cam Taylor-Britt and DJ Turner in place as perimeter corners (although Taylor-Britt is a pending free agent), but Hilton has been a mainstay in the slot throughout his time in Cincinnati. As Morrison notes, that has included a lighter workload on third downs in particular this season, a potential signal the team could go in a different direction this offseason.

A veteran of 122 games and 55 starts, Hilton has remained consistent during his Bengals run. The Ole Miss product has recorded one or two interceptions in each of his past four seasons, adding between four and eight pass deflections each year along the way. Hilton’s coverage statistics and evaluation from PFF has also remained steady for the most part, although 2024 (a season in which the Bengals have collectively struggled on defense) has seen a regression.

Cincinnati is currently projected to be near the top of the league in cap space for the offseason, but the team has a number of pending financial priorities. A monster extension for Ja’Marr Chase and (if possible) a long-term deal for fellow receiver Tee Higgins are among them, but the Bengals will also need to make a decision on retaining Hilton or allowing him to depart. It will be interesting to see if the team reciprocates his desire for a new agreement. In any case, though, Hilton is not considering retirement at this point.

“I’ve still got two or three [years] in me,” he added. “That’s my honest opinion. I feel like there’s really not anybody who can do what I do. And I feel like that brings a lot of value to some teams.”

Bengals To Sign Mike Hilton

March 16th, 2021 at 1:54pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Bengals are continuing to add to the defense. Cincinnati has agreed to terms on a deal with free agent cornerback Mike Hilton, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). It’s a four-year pact for Hilton, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (tweet via Ben Baby of ESPN).

The four-year deal is worth $24MM with $8.5MM coming to Hilton in the first year, Rapoport tweets. The Bengals signed fellow corner Chidobe Awuzie to a three-year deal earlier this morning, and added defensive end Trey Hendrickson on a massive four-year, $60MM deal last night. With Hilton and Awuzie now in tow and William Jackson III looking likely to depart in free agency, Cincy’s secondary is going to look completely different in 2021.

Hilton entered the league as an UDFA out of Ole Miss in 2016. He initially spent time with the Jaguars and Patriots but was cut in both places before landing on Pittsburgh’s practice squad. He quickly carved out a role with the Steelers, and was a big part of their secondary the past few years. He’ll likely be the Bengals’ new slot corner.

This past season he appeared in 12 games, starting six, and playing around 45 percent of the defensive snaps in total. Despite only being on the field half the time he managed to rack up three sacks, eight tackles for loss, seven passes defended, three interceptions, and two fumble recoveries. That’s a lot of playmaking.

Steelers CB Mike Hilton Signs RFA Tender

June 11th, 2020 at 3:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

As a key deadline looms for restricted free agents, one of the key members of this contingent is back in the fold with his team. Steelers cornerback Mike Hilton signed his second-round tender on Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Hilton’s preference remains to sign a long-term deal to stay in Pittsburgh, per Schefter, but this ties him to a $3.26MM payment this year. RFAs have until June 15 to sign tenders. Otherwise, teams can withdraw them and pay players 120% of their respective 2019 salaries.

Hilton has operated as a key Steelers defender for years, manning the slot for the improved defense. Last season, the Steelers rocketed up to third in DVOA against the pass. Although 2019 additions Steven Nelson and Minkah Fitzpatrick had plenty to do with that, Hilton and Joe Haden remained key figures in the Pittsburgh defense’s rise.

Because of his undrafted status, Hilton has been eligible for a new deal since the 2018 season ended. The Steelers tendered him as an ERFA in 2019. The 26-year-old cornerback said last year he wanted to be a Steeler long-term, and that stance evidently has not changed.

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