JT #94

Josh Tupou

Defensive Tackle · Colorado

An undrafted nose tackle out of Colorado who carved out seven-plus years in the league as a run-stopping space eater.

Josh Tupou has never been a name that shows up on highlight reels, but the massive Colorado product has made a career out of holding the point of attack in the middle of the defensive line. After years anchoring Cincinnati's interior, he has kept finding work as a veteran depth option along the trenches.

★ Signed as undrafted free agent, 2017

★ Six seasons as a rotational nose tackle in Cincinnati

★ 89-plus career tackles across parts of eight NFL seasons

Path to the league

Tupou played five seasons at Colorado from 2012 to 2016, starting 45 of 50 games and finishing his college career with 124 tackles and seven sacks. He went unselected in the 2017 NFL Draft and signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent.

Career highlights

Tupou spent six seasons with the Bengals as a nose tackle, playing 68 games and starting 23 of them. His most notable on-field moment came in 2022 when he recorded a sack of Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on a play that resulted in a concussion, a hit that drew league scrutiny of Miami's concussion protocol.

2025 season recap

Tupou's 2025 season was unsettled, as he signed with Indianapolis in July before being released in final roster cuts, then joined the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad in September, was released in October, and was re-signed to the practice squad a week later. It was a limited season on the field as he searched for a permanent roster spot.