The Bengals head into Week 9 in Madrid with most of the roster good to go, but the defensive line is carrying a little more uncertainty than usual.
Cedric Johnson is questionable for Sunday because of an ankle injury, and with rookie second-round pick Cashius Howell now on injured reserve after wrist surgery, Cincinnati may decide not to push Johnson against the Falcons. The safer call, at least on paper, is to sit him and let the rest of the edge group absorb the snaps.
That would also open the door for Shemar Stewart to see more work. The 2025 17th overall pick has been getting public praise from the coaching staff, though he still hasn’t carved out a real role in the rotation. After a rough rookie year, Stewart appears to be in a better place this season, and Zac Taylor pointed to the strength of the defensive line room as a big reason he hasn’t been on the field much.
“Well, I've seen a lot of positive from Shemar. the The good part for our team is we have a really deep defensive line group, and and that's hasn't been about what Shemar’s been doing, right or wrong. It's been we've had a really strong group, but now he's going to get more of an… pic.twitter.com/GhzKoqYLeN
- Mike Petraglia (@Trags) November 6, 2026
If Johnson sits, the Bengals would be choosing the long view while also getting a chance to see whether Stewart can finally turn the corner on the field.
The one player who is already locked in as out is safety Kyle Dugger, whose quad injury continues to linger. His absence keeps Cincinnati thin at safety, and it also brings an unwelcome reminder that Jessie Bates will be lining up on the Falcons’ side Sunday.
A projected inactive list for Cincinnati would also include Myles Hinton, Connor Lew and Landon Robinson.
Hinton has become a familiar name on the inactive sheet, and it’s easy to see why with Javon Foster backing up Orlando Brown Jr. and Amarius Mims. Robinson, meanwhile, has yet to get his NFL debut, and that wait figures to stretch on again. The rookie defensive tackle keeps showing up on the inactive list each week, even with the Bengals’ interior depth looking less lively than ideal.
Lew also fits the likely inactive group. Jacob Bayer gives Cincinnati more versatility and can handle center in a pinch, which makes it easier to keep the rookie on the sideline if the Bengals want to avoid exposing him. Ted Karras has been strong this season, so there’s no obvious need to force the issue.
Projected Bengals inactives for Week 9: S Kyle Dugger
OT Myles Hinton DE Cedric Johnson
C Connor Lew DT Landon Robinson
In Other News...
Shemar Stewart Suddenly Has A Bigger Bengals Opportunity In Madrid
As the Bengals get ready for their trip to Madrid to face the Falcons, Shemar Stewart is suddenly in line for a larger role than the one he has had so far. The rookie defensive lineman has been working through limited playing time, but the path to more snaps has opened up as Cincinnati deals with injuries up front and tries to keep its rotation intact for an overseas game that carries plenty of attention.
Zac Taylor pointed to the absences around Stewart as a reason his workload should grow, and the timing matters for a player who missed much of training camp before settling into the season. Even with that slow start, Stewart has kept a positive approach, and the Bengals now need him to turn that into production when the opportunities start coming more regularly. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Burrows Game Day Choice Could Start A New Bengals Debate
Joe Burrows game-day wardrobe drew a little extra attention during the Bengals Week 9 meeting with the Falcons, when he stepped out in custom orange-and-black Caddix cleats. The brand has been making noise around the league lately, helped along by interest from players and even endorsements from figures like Tom Brady, and Burrows choice fit neatly into the kind of style-conscious image he has built in Cincinnati.
The wrinkle is that Caddix is not an NFL-approved brand, which is where the conversation gets interesting for a player with Burrows visibility. Other players have already run into trouble for wearing the same cleats, and with Joe Flacco also connected to the brand, Burrows choice could easily spark a fresh Bengals-side debate about where fashion ends and league rules begin. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Get A Huge AFC North Test After Steelers Bye Week
Pittsburgh heads into its bye week with plenty of momentum after rolling past Cleveland, a result that kept the Steelers atop the AFC North and underscored how well they are playing on both sides of the ball. Jaylen Warren gave the offense a burst on the ground, while the defense kept the Browns under pressure all afternoon with a pass rush that consistently disrupted the pocket and helped create extra possessions.
For Cincinnati, the timing only raises the stakes for what comes next. The Bengals will get the division leader in prime time at Paycor Stadium on Nov. 15, with NBC carrying the matchup and streaming available on Fubo, and it arrives as one of the clearest measuring-stick games left on the schedule. If the Bengals want to make up ground in the AFC North, this is the kind of test that can shape the rest of the race. [Read more 🡒]