The Jacksonville Jaguars have begun the season 4-1, a great follow-up to a season that included a 13-4 record and an AFC South Division championship.
At least one player who has been a part of the proceedings won’t be involved going forward.
On Monday, the Jaguars lost one of their former fourth-round picks.
Jaguars Lose Player To Bengals
The Jaguars recently placed linebacker Jack Kiser on waivers.
On Monday, the Bengals claimed him.
The news came down via the NFL’s official transactions report and was also shared by insiders like ESPN’s Adam Schefter:
Bengals claimed former fourth-round pick, LB Jack Kiser, on waivers from the Jacksonville Jaguars.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 12, 2026
It’s not a case of the Jaguars unknowingly losing a player. They intentionally placed Kiser on waivers, and now he’s gone to Cincinnati.
Who is Jack Kiser?
Kiser is a 26-year-old linebacker originally from the state of Indiana.
He stayed in the Hoosier state to play college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
From there, Kiser was a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft at No. 107 overall.
Kiser stands 6-foot-2 and weighs in at 231 pounds, and the Jaguars had mostly used him on special teams thus far in his career.
In 2025, Kiser played in 14 games for Jacksonville. He totaled 14 tackles.
The Jaguars had Kiser on the practice squad to start this season, but after Week 1, they signed him to the active roster.
Despite Kiser’s presence on Jacksonville’s 53-man roster, though, he hadn’t been active for a game yet.
That means that Kiser doesn’t have any stats to build on what he did as a Jaguars rookie.
Jacksonville likely placed Kiser on waivers in the hopes of passing him through and getting him back onto the practice squad, the the Bengals saw through that move.
Cincinnati saw a chance to add a recent fourth-round pick to its roster.
Kiser was an impactful college player at Notre Dame. His final season, 2024, featured the Fighting Irish reaching the national title game.
In the 16 games Kiser played that year, he totaled 90 tackles, including 5.0 for a loss with 2.0 sacks. He also recovered a pair of fumbles and forced a pair of fumbles.
Kiser had four interceptions in his college career, including two pick-sixes in the 2021 season. He also had 16.0 career tackles for loss, including 6.0 sacks, as well as six career forced fumbles.
In the NFL, Kiser had yet to receive a real opportunity to translate that production.
With the Bengals, maybe he’ll get a better chance. Cincinnati has had a lackluster defense in recent years, and it’s logical for them to take a chance on some young talent.
The Jags may have hoped Kiser would pass through waivers unscathed, but that backfired on them, and when the Bengals claimed Kiser, the Jaguars had no choice but to let him go.
Jaguars Surrender 14-Game Youngster To Bengals