The Cincinnati Bengals used the bye week to add Jack Kiser via the waiver wire after the Swayze Bozeman injury. 

It was a small note, but an important one: Bozeman was a core piece of Darrin Simmons’ special teams unit in Cincinnati, even throwing a key block on an 81-yard return by Dohnte Meyers during the Week 5 win over the Miami Dolphins. 

But the Bengals and especially defensive coordinator Al Golden know Kiser well. He played 70 games over six years at Notre Dame and was even under Golden at the 2025 Senior Bowl. After getting waived in Jacksonville, where he was a fourth-round pick, he’s a natural fit for the Bengals. 

The Bengals aren’t hunting for players who can challenge starters Demetrius Knight or Barrett Carter. But they are looking for reliable players to steady an unstable special teams unit, and Kiser made too much sense to pass up.