The Bengals have their initial 2026 practice squad in place, and it’s already clear this group is built to be flexible.
Cincinnati officially announced the 16-player unit on Tuesday afternoon, with a blend of familiar names and fresh additions as Week 1 prep picks up. One of the more notable newcomers is Blake Freeland, the former Colts offensive tackle, who gives the Bengals another veteran body on the offensive line.
Zac Taylor said the team is trying to keep the door open for both Freeland and Myles Hinton, who was added to the 53-man roster on Monday afternoon.
"I feel like we added two guys to the mix, one on the 53, one on the practice squad--that have a chance to come in here and compete, and we want to give all those guys a chance to continue to develop our depth that way," Taylor said on Tuesday.
Taylor also pointed to the wide receiver room as a group that has already forced its way into the conversation during camp.
"I think those guys have proved that over the course of training camp. That doesn't mean it's perfect right now," Taylor said about that room.
"We still have a ways to go. ... Those are the guys that are here right now.
They've done that and earned it. It wasn't that other guys did it.
Like they just kept over and over making plays every time it came their way, and just like now they just keep showing up and eventually you put them on the roster."
The practice squad includes a former Cowboys seventh-round pick who played in 16 games with two starts last season, finishing with 21 tackles, 16 of them solo, along with three pass breakups and one interception. It also features a fourth-year BYU product who spent 2023-24 with the Colts, appearing in 25 games with nine starts, before missing all of last year on the Reserve/Injured list because of a leg injury.
Across 724 career snaps, he logged a 59.7 Pro Football Focus grade in 2024 and a 44.2 grade in 2023. Another second-year player comes in after spending all of last season on the Chargers practice squad.
Cincinnati’s initial practice squad is set for now, though Taylor made it clear the group remains fluid and could change over the next few months.
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Bengals Final Roster Leaves Two Thin Spots Fans Will Watch Closely
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Still, the list is not without some areas to monitor, especially when it comes to depth at linebacker and running back. Those spots can look a little thinner than the rest of the roster, which is why the Bengals will be leaning on the overall upside of both their offense and defense to carry them through the early part of the season while those backup roles settle into place. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Offense May Look Very Different When Week 1 Arrives
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The bigger wrinkle is where that action is coming from. Under-center play-action has become a more visible part of the plan, and that is a meaningful change in philosophy under Zac Taylor. For a Bengals offense that has been at its best when Burrow can diagnose quickly and attack downfield, the question now is how different the Week 1 version really looks once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals May Have A New Formation Edge Defenses Will Hate
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Mike Gesicki is a key piece of that plan because he can line up like a slot receiver and blur the usual line between receiver and tight end. For defenses, that means having to decide whether to match with bigger bodies or stay lighter and risk giving the Bengals favorable matchups, which is exactly the kind of chess move this offense appears ready to use more often. [Read more 🡒]