Wisconsin football: Cincinnati Bengals sign Maema Njongmeta as undrafted free agent

MADISON – The Cincinnati Bengals signed Wisconsin linebacker Maema Njongmeta as an undrafted free agent after the 2024 NFL draft Saturday.

Njongmeta, from Buffalo Grove, Illinois, played four seasons at UW but skipped the 2024 Reliaquest Bowl to begin preparing for the draft.

What kind of player is Maema Njongmeta?

After redshirting in 2019, Njongmeta played four seasons at UW. He started 21 of 26 games in his final two seasons and recorded a total of 21 tackles for loss and 154 total tackles in those seasons

Njongmeta isn’t going to wow you with blazing speed or Hulk-like power. More often than not, he made plays because of a high football IQ and outstanding classroom habits.

MADISON – The Cincinnati Bengals signed Wisconsin linebacker Maema Njongmeta as an undrafted free agent after the 2024 NFL draft Saturday.

Njongmeta, from Buffalo Grove, Illinois, played four seasons at UW but skipped the 2024 Reliaquest Bowl to begin preparing for the draft.

Wisconsin linebacker Maema Njongmeta celebrates his fumble recovery against Minnesota.
What kind of player is Maema Njongmeta?
After redshirting in 2019, Njongmeta played four seasons at UW. He started 21 of 26 games in his final two seasons and recorded a total of 21 tackles for loss and 154 total tackles in those seasons

Njongmeta isn’t going to wow you with blazing speed or Hulk-like power. More often than not, he made plays because of a high football IQ and outstanding classroom habits.

Njongmeta displayed a knack for finding creases to exploit as a pass-rusher. He logged a sack in each of UW’s final four regular-season games in 2022 and led the team in tackles with 95.

Despite a new staff in 2023, Njongmeta opened the season as a starter. He started the first three games of the season but then got in for just one play in the league opener at Purdue and didn’t start in either of the next two games – Rutgers and Iowa.

He returned to the starting lineup in Week 7 at Illinois and started the remainder of the season. Beginning with the Illinois game, Njongmeta recorded three double-digit tackle performances. He finished the season with 8 ½ tackles for loss, No. 1 among the team’s inside linebackers and No. 3 on the team.

What were Maema Njongmeta’s highlights at UW?

Njongmeta did not travel a stress-free path to becoming a starter in 2022.

After redshirting in 2019, Njongmeta played just one game in the COVID-shortened 2020 season – against Wake Forest in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.

Then in the spring of 2021, Njongmeta revealed to reporters that a physical exam the previous fall revealed an issue that nearly caused him to quit football. The exam came after Njongmeta contracted COVID and doctors found a potential issue with his heart.

“Basically I have a sac of liquid around my heart, which some people have just naturally,” he explained. “I happen to have that naturally. There was definitely a point of let’s be cautious because this is new and we don’t want to send our athletes into a dangerous situations.

“That was definitely a rough stretch, and just being able to lean on my family at the time was really crucial.”

After getting cleared to play, Njongmeta played in six games in 2021 before earning a starting job the next season.

How did Maema Njongmeta perform at the NFL Combine and at UW’s pro day?
Njongmeta was timed at 4.91 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the combine, the slowest mark among the 15 linebackers. His time of 4.66 seconds in the 20-yard shuttle was fifth among the five linebackers who participated in that drill.

Njongmeta also took part in UW’s pro day and dropped his 40 time to 4.8 seconds. He hit 34 ½ inches on his vertical and 9 feet 8 inches on the broad jump.

“I had a season that wasn’t what I expected,” he said. “It wasn’t what I planned for necessarily, but somehow I’m still standing.”