The Cincinnati Bengals have spent the offseason trying to shore up a defense that needed help in a big way, and on paper they’ve made real progress. The defensive line looks stronger.
Bryan Cook gives the secondary a boost. Even the presence of Dexter Lawrence adds to the sense that this unit has more bite than it did before.
But all of that good will can vanish fast if second-year linebackers Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter aren’t ready for the spotlight in Week 1.
That’s the real danger for Cincinnati as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers come to Paycor Stadium. The Bucs bring a matchup that can stress the Bengals in all the wrong places, especially through the backfield. Much of the attention will land on Baker Mayfield and his new contract, but Tampa Bay’s real edge might be the pair of pass-catchers it can deploy out of the backfield in Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell.
Gainwell, who played for Cincinnati’s AFC North rival Steelers last season, finished with 537 rushing yards and five touchdowns, plus 73 catches for 486 yards and three more scores. Irving was limited for much of 2025, but he still has 77 receptions in 27 regular-season games and averaged 5.4 yards per carry as a rookie two seasons ago. With the ball in his hands, he’s a problem.
That combination could put a huge strain on a Bengals defense that was the league’s worst against the run. And the most damaging part of Tampa Bay’s attack may not even come on handoffs. It may come when Irving and Gainwell are isolated against Knight and Carter in coverage.
Week 1 will tell the story quickly. Cincinnati has talked up improvement, but the only real proof comes on the field, and the front office’s quiet approach at linebacker says plenty. The team didn’t add any notable help there, aside from waiver claim Swayze Bozeman, who made the 53-man roster.
Linebackers coach Mike Hodges recently offered a positive read on Knight in a piece by Bengals beat vet Charlie Goldsmith, saying:
“His consistency in recognizing plays, he’s ahead of it... Be it that the scheme has calmed down for him and/or another year under his belt, those two things combined has allowed him play faster.
Now, we’re able to see the speed and the athleticism that we drafted him in the second round for on display more consistently. We saw flashes of it last year.
Now, it’s been more consistent."
That kind of growth would matter. Knight was drafted for his athletic upside, while Carter was brought in more for his leadership and ability to handle the defense’s calls. If Carter can keep things organized and Knight can turn that speed into steady play, Cincinnati has a chance to be in decent shape over the long haul.
But that’s the theory. The reality is that this matchup with Tampa Bay could expose both of them right away. And as promising as the Bengals’ defensive makeover looks elsewhere, there’s no guarantee the Knight-Carter pairing is ready to handle Irving and Gainwell this Sunday.
In Other News...
Cashius Howell Is Suddenly At Center Of Bengals Defensive Hype
Cashius Howell has quickly become one of the most talked-about names around the Bengals defense, and it is easy to see why. Cincinnati used the draft to reshape its front, dealing away its first-round pick to the Giants for Dexter Lawrence before spending its second-round selection on the Texas A&M edge rusher, who arrived with plenty of momentum after being named the 2025 SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a unanimous All-American.
The early buzz has only gotten louder since then, with CBS Sports analyst John Breech going so far as to project Howell as the 2026 Defensive Rookie of the Year and the Bengals as a playoff team. For a defense looking for impact players who can change the conversation, Howell is already being treated like much more than a mid-round addition, even if the real answer about how fast he can tilt games in Cincinnati still has to play out. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Have An Unexpected New Injury Concern Before Week 1
Week 1 practice brought one of those early-season reminders that the Bengals depth will be tested before the games even count. DJ Turner II showed up on the injury report with a hamstring issue and was limited, while JaMarr Chase and Tee Higgins were both back to full participation as they continue working through their own recoveries. For a team trying to build rhythm right away, getting its top receivers on the field matters, but the attention shifted quickly to the new concern in the secondary.
Zac Taylor also spent time updating the status of several players while talking through the bigger picture of continuity and situational football as the season opener approaches. Those are the kinds of details that tend to matter more once the first kickoff arrives, especially for a Bengals team hoping to avoid any early disruption in a unit that needs all its pieces ready. For now, the key question is how much Turners hamstring affects the week ahead and whether it lingers past the initial practice report. [Read more 🡒]
Ja'Marr Chase Sent Bengals Fans An Encouraging Message Before Sunday
Ja'Marr Chases return to full participation in practice comes with a little extra reassurance for Bengals fans who watched him deal with a minor knee hyperextension last month. Entering the 2026 season, the star receiver said he feels fully healthy again, and he struck a confident tone about both his body and the energy around the team as preparations move toward opening weekend.
The timing of the schedule is one thing Chase clearly did not hide his opinion on, since he said he would rather not be dealing with 1 p.m. starts. But the bigger takeaway for Cincinnati is simpler: its top pass-catching threat sounds ready to go, and after a brief scare in the summer, that is the sort of update that matters most this time of year. [Read more 🡒]