Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. have given the Bengals glimpses of what they can become, but the next stretch of the season is where the real evaluation begins. Cris Collinsworth said the learning curve at linebacker in the NFL is steep, and he pointed to Bryan Cook as a stabilizing presence behind the two young defenders.
“Linebacker in the NFL is a little bit like playing quarterback on the other side because you’re the one with the green dot, you’re the one that has to make the adjustments, we’ve got all these motions and shifts and think of the Bengals [offense] and all the stuff they do pre-snap,” Collinsworth explained. “You need either or both really, one of those linebackers who really knows what it is that he’s doing, and then you got Cook in behind it, so I always though that would get better as the year went along.”
For Collinsworth, the second half of the season is where Carter and Knight are expected to show whether they can handle the job when the pressure ramps up. He said the biggest test comes when offenses start leaning on duo blocking and forcing linebackers to sort things out on their own.
“We’re kind of into final exams right now, and if they can hold their own against some of these duo blocking schemes, where they go double-team here and double-team here, they’re going to leave that linebacker, you figure it out,” Collinsworth explained. “It takes a little patience, it takes a little experience, and they’re getting there, they’re playing hard, but they’re young.”
The Bengals got a reminder of the rough edges in Week 3 against the Steelers, when Knight and Carter combined for three missed tackles and allowed five receptions for three first downs. Carter’s communication in the middle of the defense, as the green-dot communicator, is one area that has to sharpen up.
Cincinnati is counting on both linebackers to keep progressing. The team did not make a major addition to the linebacker room this offseason, and it also stayed quiet at the trade deadline.
That leaves the Bengals leaning on Knight and Carter for the rest of the year. Answers, as Collinsworth suggested, should start coming in this second half of the season.
In Other News...
Bengals May Finally Have A First Round Answer At Linebacker
Linebacker has been one of the quieter but more persistent roster questions in Cincinnati, and NBC Sports analyst Connor Rogers recently floated a possible long-range answer in his 2027 mock draft. He projected the Bengals to take Notre Dame linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, a prospect whose appeal comes from a blend of run defense, pass-rushing ability and coverage work that would fit the modern demands of the position.
Viliamu-Asas profile is intriguing enough on its own, but the medical history is part of the conversation too, since he has already dealt with two ACL injuries. In a mock-draft setting, it is all speculative by nature, yet it does underline how the Bengals could eventually look to the first round for a linebacker who brings more than one skill set to the table. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Could Get Needed Secondary Help At The Perfect Time
The Bengals got a small but potentially timely boost in the secondary this week when Jalen Davis 21-day practice window opened, and he was a full participant in his first practice back. With the defense still piecing together its depth, Cincinnati is at least exploring the possibility of getting Davis back into the mix, which would give the coaching staff another option as the schedule tightens up.
Josh Newton is expected to handle backup quarterback duties against the Steelers, so the Bengals are still sorting through the immediate roster picture as they look ahead to Washington next week. The Commanders are coming off a Thursday Night Football win, which only adds to the challenge, and any extra help in the secondary could matter if Davis is ready to be activated in time. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Have A Familiar O-Line Decision That Could Matter Soon
The Eagles cutting Fred Johnson puts a familiar name back into the conversation for Cincinnati at a time when offensive line depth is always worth monitoring. Johnson, who previously played for the Bengals, did not start for Philadelphia this season but did make eight starts in 2025, giving him the kind of recent game experience that can matter when teams are sorting through midseason depth options.
For the Bengals, the question is whether to get involved now by claiming him off waivers or wait and see if he becomes available for the practice squad. Either path would be about shoring up the line with a player the organization already knows, and with roster churn always in play this time of year, it is the sort of decision that can quietly carry more weight than it first appears. [Read more 🡒]