CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals have named their first “Ruler of the Jungle” for the 2025-26 season, and it’s someone all too familiar with the organization.
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The team named former team captain, Sam Hubbard, as the Ruler of the Jungle for Sunday’s home opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“You asked. The Jungle answered. Sam Hubbard is your Ruler,” the team wrote on social media.
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Known affectionately as the “Cincinnati Kid,” Hubbard, 30, played at Archbishop Moeller High School and Ohio State before being drafted by his hometown team in 2018.
Hubbard, who announced his retirement in March, played all seven of his NFL seasons with the Bengals.
The defensive end was a team captain for four of his seven seasons in Cincinnati and helped the Bengals win back-to-back AFC North Division titles, make consecutive appearances in the AFC Championship Game, and earn a trip to Super Bowl LVI.
Hubbard is famous for “The Fumble in the Jungle,” his 98-yard fumble recovery return in Cincinnati’s Wild Card win over the Baltimore Ravens in 2023. Bengals president Mike Brown previously called the play “one of the most iconic touchdowns in team history.”
Off the field, Hubbard has focused on bringing food, education, and a healthy lifestyle to kids in the Cincinnati area with the Sam Hubbard Foundation.
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