Former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Trent Taylor has retired from the NFL after seven seasons.
Taylor announced his retirement on social media, closing a career spent with the Cincinnati Bengals, San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears.
The 32-year-old never may not have consistenly occupied a prominent place in Cincinnati’s passing attack. He caught eight passes for 103 yards during two seasons with the Bengals and made most of his contributions as a return specialist.
One reception, though, gave him a permanent place in the franchise’s recent history.
Taylor caught the tying two-point conversion during Cincinnati’s comeback victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game following the 2021 season. The play came on his first offensive snap of that postseason and helped send the Bengals to their first Super Bowl in 33 years.
For a player whose job frequently depended on handling the details surrounding Cincinnati’s stars, it was a fitting contribution.
Trent Taylor Delivered in Bengals’ Biggest Game
The Bengals signed Taylor in May 2021 after his first four NFL seasons with the 49ers.
Cincinnati already had one of the league’s most recognizable receiving groups. Ja’Marr Chase arrived as the No. 5 overall pick that spring, joining Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd around quarterback Joe Burrow.
Taylor’s opportunities on offense were limited. He spent part of the season on the practice squad and entered the playoffs without a defined receiving role.
That changed at Arrowhead Stadium.
Cincinnati trailed Kansas City 21-19 after Burrow found Chase for a third-quarter touchdown. The Bengals kept their offense on the field for a two-point conversion, and Taylor slipped into the end zone before catching Burrow’s pass to tie the game.
The Bengals’ official account of the game noted that it was Taylor’s first offensive snap of the playoffs.
Cincinnati eventually won 27-24 in overtime, completing an 18-point comeback and earning a trip to Super Bowl LVI.
Taylor did not record an official reception in that victory because conversion attempts are not included in standard receiving statistics. The play still became the most memorable offensive moment of his Bengals tenure.
He returned the following season and settled into a larger special-teams role. Taylor fielded 33 punts for 340 yards in 2022, averaging 10.3 yards per return.
Taylor Built a Career Through Reliability
Taylor entered the league as a fifth-round selection by San Francisco in the 2017 NFL draft.
At 5-foot-8 and 180 pounds, he established himself immediately as a dependable slot receiver. Taylor caught 43 passes for 430 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie, all career highs.
Injuries interrupted his time with the 49ers, including a foot problem that cost him the entire 2019 season. He later rebuilt his career through special teams, first in Cincinnati and then with Chicago.
Taylor finished with 88 receptions for 845 yards and three touchdowns across 80 regular-season appearances. He also returned 112 punts for 1,051 yards, averaging 9.4 yards per return.
The 49ers confirmed Taylor’s retirement, noting that he shared the occasion alongside longtime teammate and friend George Kittle.
Taylor last appeared in an NFL game for San Francisco during the 2024 season. The team placed him on injured reserve in June 2025, and he did not return to the field.
His career will not be remembered for enormous receiving numbers or individual honors. Taylor survived seven seasons by earning trust as a slot option, punt returner and special-teams contributor.
In Cincinnati, that trust placed him on the field for one snap at the center of the franchise’s best postseason run in decades. He made it count.
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