‘It’s My Make-or-Break Year’ – Bengals DT Zach Carter Sheds Weight After Adding It in Bid for Bigger Role

CINCINNATI – Last year at this time, Zach Carter was a popular pick among Cincinnati Bengals players and coaches to be the guy poised to make a huge jump.

Carter had spent the offseason bulking up to deal with the rigors of playing on the interior against the AFC North after spending his college days coming off the edge at the University of Florida.

But bigger and stronger never translated to better.

Bengals DT Zach Carter Eyeing Explosive Year 3

Carter’s playing time increased from 38% of the snaps in the defensive line rotation to 46%, but his production remained at a disappointing level, going from two pressures as a rookie to three, failing to record a sack and registering just 23 tackles for the second year in a row.

“Last year was a tough year for me,” Carter said. “A lot of ups and downs.”

So it was time to make another change this offseason.

“I went back to the drawing board,” Carter said. “I was like, ‘Where do I need to make some improvements?’ I felt like my weight was one of my biggest ones.

“My rookie year, I played around 295. Last year, I was 320-325. It was a big jump,” he added.

Too big, defensive line coach Marion Hobby said.

“We told him you’ve got to put on some good weight. But nobody was talking 30 pounds,” he said.

“After that first year, the money is a little bit different. You go back and work at your college, you’ve got friends around, it affects you,” Hobby continued. “I think he learned a lesson from that. He looks good. He’s more comfortable. He’s more confident, and that’s half the battle.”

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Carter spent his second offseason shedding weight. He said he’s at 300 pounds, closer to his rookie weight.

“I feel the best that I have,” he said. “I feel faster and stronger. So really my focus this offseason was getting more explosive and getting stronger and getting comfortable at this weight.”

The Bengals drafted defensive tackles in the second round (Kris Jenkins) and third (McKinnley Jackson) after signing Sheldon Rankins in free agency.

It looked as though Carter might be the odd man out in a talented and deep defensive line room. But throughout camp, he’s been among the defensive tackles getting the most reps. And when Rankins missed three recent practices, it was Carter lining up alongside B.J. Hill with the first team.

Carter said there was no edict to shed weight this offseason, but the topic came up after OTAs heading into the six-week summer break.

“I was already losing weight in the offseason on my own, and they told me when I left for the summer they wanted me to come back below 310. I just kept training and getting to 300.

“I’ve found the sweet spot,” he added.

After DJ Reader went down with a quad injury in mid-December, Carter took over as the starting nose tackle, where his weight proved beneficial. But the Bengals view the 2021 third-round pick as a 3-technique, and dropping weight and increasing explosion should help Carter in his effort to reach his potential.

“To me, this is my make-or-break year,” he said. “I know a lot of people talk about Year 4 being the contract year, but for me, it’s making my imprint this year, showing people I belong. It’s important to me.”