Jeremy Hill tweeted his good-bye to the Bengals on Wednesday.
“Been one hell of a ride Cincinnati on to the next chapter,” Hill wrote.
Hill, 25, hits free agency at just the wrong time. The free agent market is crowded, and this year’s draft class features several top-flight running backs.
“I’m not nervous at all,” Hill told Jim Owczarski of The Cincinnati Enquirer. “I think the chips will fall where they may, and I’m good with that going forward. I’m going to put the work in and when you do that you can sleep good at night knowing you did everything you could, and that’s what I’m going to do.”
Hill is coming off the worst statistical season of his career, with 37 carries for 116 yards and no touchdowns, while rehabbing from ankle surgery that ended his season after seven games.
“We just thought it would be best for me to have surgery and make sure I’m good to go going forward, putting my career over this season,” Hill said of his decision to have surgery, which surprised coach Marvin Lewis. “That was a decision that I felt was best for me going forward, and that’s what I did.”