Hakeem Adeniji’s NFL run is over.
The former Bengals offensive lineman is retiring after five seasons, closing the book on a career that included three years in Cincinnati, two more with Dallas and Minnesota, and a final stop that was supposed to be Baltimore this season before he decided to walk away from the game.
Adeniji leaves with 55 regular-season appearances on his résumé, including nine with the Bengals. His most memorable stretch came during Cincinnati’s 2021 AFC title season, when he started eight regular-season games and handled the main right guard job through the playoffs as the Bengals came within striking distance of their first Super Bowl title.
That season, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor praised what Adeniji brought to the group.
"He's smart, he's physical, he plays with great athleticism and power. I think he's been a great addition to the inside," Taylor said about Adeniji in 2021.
Former Bengals center Trey Hopkins also remembered the way Adeniji carried himself in that run.
"He does a great job listening to the older guys, does a great job taking the stuff seriously and owning his craft," Hopkins said during that magical season. "He has some great lateral quickness and very good feet. If you're on the receiving end of a punch, he has a pretty strong punch too."
Adeniji’s retirement comes as Cincinnati is trying to build what it believes can be its best offensive line yet. Taylor said last week that the group’s experience gives the Bengals a different feel heading into the coming season.
“There’s a lot of experience there,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said last week. “From a communication standpoint, that’s something that sometimes early in seasons gets you some sacks with overall communication because you have a revolving door at a position or you have new guys at a position. Now, that excuse does not exist for us.”
Taylor also pushed back on the old idea that Cincinnati can’t protect Joe Burrow.
“Sometimes nationally, there’s a really lazy narrative that our offensive line isn’t very good because they look at years ago and some issues we had,” Taylor said. “That has not been the case for us. These guys have performed as well as any unit in the league.”
The Bengals are set to bring back all five starters from last season, leaning hard into continuity - something Adeniji rarely got to enjoy during his five-year NFL journey.
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