Cashius Howell has flashed enough to look like a real hit for the Cincinnati Bengals, but there’s a catch: he’s not starting, which limits how much impact he can make right now on a reduced snap count.
That reality makes Week 5 feel even sharper for Bengals fans, because the road trip to face the 0-4 Dolphins in Miami is a reminder that Jacob Rodriguez was there for the taking.
Rodriguez isn’t just in the lineup. He didn’t merely earn his way past veteran Tyrel Dodson after a strong camp.
He hasn’t just been “good for a rookie.” He looks like one of the best linebackers in the entire NFL.
For Cincinnati, that stings because the front seven could have used exactly that kind of difference-maker.
The draft decisions look even stranger in that light. Howell came into the league with historically short arms for a defensive end prospect. Rodriguez, while undersized by linebacker standards, had production at Texas A&M that was impossible to ignore.
A linebacker who finishes fifth in Heisman Trophy voting is doing something right. Rodriguez did exactly that in 2025, when he forced seven fumbles and picked off four passes.
And when the Bengals were on the clock with the 41st overall pick in Round 2, the fit seemed obvious. They had already spent a first-round pick on Shemar Stewart at Howell’s position the year before, and they had also used second- and fourth-round picks on Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter at Rodriguez’s position.
If you ask me - and maybe you didn’t, but you’re here reading after all - Rodriguez is the no-brainer pick in that scenario. Alas, Duke Tobin and Co. chose differently.
The numbers only sharpen the argument. As posted on October 5, 2026, Rodriguez was among the league’s top linebackers in several categories: tied for first in total tackles, tied for second in run stops, second in assisted tackles, tied for third in interceptions, tied for seventh in solo tackles, and tied for eighth in tackles for loss. That same post also noted he had the most tackles ever by a Dolphins rookie in his first four games.
None of that means Howell has been a bust. He hasn’t.
But the Bengals defense still has a tackling problem, and it’s showing up in the run game. Cincinnati is allowing 4.5 yards per carry, while Miami is giving up just 3.6 despite an offense that has struggled and personnel that is supposedly inferior.
It’s hard not to connect those dots and come back to the linebacker spot.
Maybe Rodriguez would have been the answer. Maybe trade target and reigning first-team All-Pro Jordyn Brooks would have fit too. Maybe Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. simply aren’t enough.
To be fair, Carter and Knight haven’t been terrible. They look better than they did as rookies. But that still leaves a very low bar.
Rodriguez looks like a legitimate star, and Cincinnati let him get away. If Howell doesn’t turn into a rare, double-digit sack outlier despite his length limitations, this starts to look like another painful miss for a Bengals scouting operation that already feels stretched thin.
In Other News...
Bengals Get A Familiar Ref Crew For A Game That Could Turn Testy
Brad Rogers will be a familiar face for the Bengals when his crew handles their next game, adding another layer of intrigue to a matchup that already has the feel of one that could get chippy. Rogers is in his 10th season as an NFL referee and his eighth as a head referee, and Cincinnati has seen him plenty before, including his first game as a referee in 2019 and a meeting in Week 14 last season.
For the Bengals, the bigger issue is how this crew tends to operate. Rogers has built a reputation for letting more play go than some of his peers, which can shape the rhythm of a game as emotions rise and both sides push the line. He has not had a postseason assignment in the last two seasons, and his most recent playoff work came in an AFC Wild Card game in the 2023 season, leaving this crew with something to prove in a game that could demand tight control. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Face A Dangerous Early Test In Miami Despite Dolphins Record
The Bengals are heading into an early road test in Miami with the kind of record that can fool a casual glance. The Dolphins still have not won a game, but they have stayed competitive enough to make this one feel like more than a straightforward trip for Cincinnati, especially with both sides still sorting through the kind of early-season issues that can shape a September run.
For the Bengals, the attention is on how their offense and protection hold up against a Dolphins defense trying to find its footing under new coach Jeff Hafley, who is still chasing his first win. The matchup discussion also points to the individual battles up front, with Cincinnati measuring itself against a Miami group that has several players worth watching even without the benefit of a victory next to its name. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals May Be Getting A Timely Boost In Their Banged Up WR Room
The Bengals banged-up receiver room got a little encouraging news this week, as Colbie Young moved from a limited session on Wednesday to a full practice on Thursday. It was the latest sign that he is trending toward a return soon, and he even got work catching passes from Joe Burrow as he continued to progress.
Young said the injury looked worse at first than it ended up being after X-rays, a relief for a group that has needed bodies and options. He also said he tried to go back in against the Steelers before wide receivers coach Troy Walters kept him out, a small detail that underscored how close he may already be to rejoining the mix. [Read more 🡒]