The Bengals placed defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins on the reserve/non-football illness list Monday, the team announced.
Rankins, 30, has not practiced since Nov. 15 and has missed the past six games while battling a viral illness.
He finishes the season with 18 tackles and a sack in seven games, having missed Weeks 3-5 with a hamstring injury.
Rankins signed a two-year, $24.5 million deal with the Bengals to help replace DJ Reader, who left for the Lions. Instead, rookies Kris Jenkins Jr. and McKinnley Jackson have played bigger roles than expected alongside BJ Hill.
