The Bengals are staring down the hardest part of the preseason now: the roster cutdown. After three exhibition games, Cincinnati has a few crowded rooms that could make the final decisions especially tricky, with wide receiver, tight end, defensive tackle, and quarterback all generating plenty of debate. The question hanging over the team is simple enough: could the Bengals end up surprising people with who they keep?
That uncertainty comes at the same time the Bengals have plenty to like from the way preseason unfolded. Josh Johnson guided the offense to a 30-13 win over the Eagles on Friday night to finish a perfect preseason. He passed for 156 yards in the first half, and Evan McPherson added a 56-yard field goal as part of a three-field-goal night.
One of the biggest individual highlights belonged to Jamal Haynes. His 39-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter of the Bengals’ preseason win against Philadelphia was ranked by NFL Network as the No. 2 play by a rookie in the NFL preseason, with the list completed on Aug. 2.
There was also more coming from Joe Burrow, who offered comments that fit the tone around Cincinnati as the preseason wound down. “Treat Every Day Like It’s My Last” - Joe Burrow Endorses Staff, Urgency Continues as Bengals Preseason End was among the notable takeaways as the team kept pushing toward the regular season.
On the defensive side, Tacario Davis is also turning heads quickly. His draft profile is already showing up on the field, and the Bengals could be looking at a future Pro Bowl cornerback if that early translation keeps holding.
Still, none of that changes the reality facing every NFL team right now. The league-wide deadline to get down to 53 players is Aug. 30 at 6 p.m. ET, and roster reduction season is where good preseason moments stop being enough on their own.
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Bengals Bubble Players Just Learned Their Fate On Cutdown Day
Cincinnati began trimming its roster to 53 players on cutdown day, and the first wave of moves gave a clearer picture of how the back end of the Bengals depth chart is shaking out. Among the notable names waived were offensive tackle Andrew Coker, quarterback Josh Johnson and wide receiver Mitch Tinsley, while defensive tackle Landon Robinson and wide receiver Dohnte Meyers both survived the first round of cuts.
The quarterback group was always going to draw extra attention, especially with head coach Zac Taylor already commenting on the preseason work of Josh Johnson and Sean Clifford. For the Bengals, these decisions are less about headline names than about sorting out the final layers of a roster built for the regular season, and there is still more maneuvering to come as teams keep adjusting the edges of the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Jake Browning Just Hit A Tough New Reality After Cincinnati
Jake Brownings stop in Tampa Bay is over before it really got going. After signing a one-year deal with $400,000 guaranteed this offseason, the Buccaneers moved on from the veteran quarterback once they decided to make undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels their primary backup, leaving Browning back on the market after another brief chapter in a career built on trying to stay ready for the next opening.
For Bengals fans, it is another reminder of how quickly a quarterbacks path can change after leaving Cincinnati. Browning had previously spent time with the Vikings and appeared in five games with three starts for the Bengals in 2025, enough to keep his name in circulation around the league, but not enough to secure a long-term foothold. Now he has to find the next landing spot, and the search begins again with camp decisions already reshaping depth charts. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Suddenly Have A Chance To Fix A Defense Problem
The Bengals linebacker room has been one of the more obvious pressure points on the roster, with rookies Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter stepping into starting roles and little proven depth behind them. So when the Dolphins released Tyrel Dodson, it created an opening Cincinnati had reason to notice. A veteran addition at that spot would not solve every issue on defense, but it would at least give the Bengals a chance to steady a group that has been leaning heavily on first-year players.
Dodson now sits on the open market as Cincinnati weighs whether to make a move before the linebacker situation gets any more exposed. The fit makes sense on paper because the Bengals need help there and Dodson has become available at a time when they can use another experienced body in the room. Whether they act quickly or let the market play out, the release gave Cincinnati a potential fix for a problem it has been trying to manage since camp. [Read more 🡒]