The Cincinnati Bengals are down to their 53-man roster, and while a few spots could still shift before the regular season kicks off in about a week and a half, this looks like the group they’ll be rolling with in Week 1.
There weren’t many true stunners in the cutdown, but a handful of moves still stood out. Landon Robinson made the final roster, which felt like the right outcome even if it never seemed especially shaky. He’s the kind of player people pull for, and with the Bengals’ defensive tackle group running deep, there’s a good chance he’ll be around plenty this season.
Tanner Hudson’s situation was a little messier. The question wasn’t whether he had earned a place - it was whether Cincinnati would keep five tight ends. He stuck at first, then got moved out when the Bengals brought in offensive tackle Myles Hinton.
The wide receiver group delivered the biggest surprise. Ke’Shawn Williams beat out Mitchell Tinsley and Charlie Jones for a spot, which is not how most people would have drawn it up.
Jones seemed like the safer bet because of his return work, while Tinsley had already turned heads last season. Instead, Williams won the job and became the new return specialist.
Jones cleared waivers and, as of this writing, hadn’t even landed on a practice squad. Tinsley was claimed quickly by the Texans.
Josh Newton’s place on the roster likely ties directly to Ja’Sir Taylor landing on IR with a designation to return because of a hamstring issue. Newton spent a lot of the preseason in the doghouse, but now he gets at least four weeks to show he deserves to stay.
The good news on the injury front is that Shemar Stewart avoided IR. That matters even if he isn’t ready for Week 1, because it means Cincinnati won’t automatically be waiting until Week 5 to see him.
If you’re looking for the thinnest spots on the roster, linebacker and running back are the obvious answers. The question now is whether the Bengals can realistically do anything about either one. Bobby Wagner is still available, but if that was going to happen, it probably already would have.
For the most part, though, this roster feels locked in.
And even with those depth concerns, there’s a lot to like.
On offense, the Bengals look like a big-play machine waiting to happen. There’s too much firepower here for any defense to completely shut it down.
If a team slows Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins is waiting. If it tries to take those two away, there’s Mike Gesicki, Andrei Iosivas and the running backs.
Joe Burrow is still the one making it all go.
Good luck.
The defense brings just as much reason for optimism. More help at linebacker and another veteran corner would have been welcome, but this group has a real chance to be Cincinnati’s best defense since the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
The line should be noticeably better, and that matters everywhere behind it. When the front creates pressure, it makes life easier for the safeties and the entire back end. A defensive back’s best friend is a quarterback who doesn’t have time to throw.
It also brings back a familiar kind of impact up front. When DJ Reader was occupying blockers in the middle, everything around him looked cleaner. That’s the kind of effect this defense should be chasing again.
Of course, there are still variables that can blow up any plan, and health is the biggest one. A couple of key injuries can change everything in a hurry.
Usually by this point in the offseason, the mood around the Bengals is more frustration than excitement. The roster often feels short of what it should be, with too much leaning on young players or health questions.
That doesn’t feel like the case this time.
The Bengals made real swings this offseason. They attacked weak spots.
They brought in players who can change games. The roster still has holes, sure, but most of the complaints now feel minor rather than glaring.
This time, the conversation isn’t about what Cincinnati failed to do.
It’s about what it actually did.
And that looks pretty good.
There’s a 14-3 team in that 53-man roster.
Hopefully we get to see it.
In Other News...
Bengals Depth Battle Just Got More Interesting Before Week 1
The Bengals used the week leading into the opener to keep tinkering with the bottom of the roster, officially confirming their 2026 practice squad while also giving the 53-man group another new face in former Colts offensive tackle Blake Freeland. Cincinnatis latest moves fit the larger pattern of a team still sorting out depth, especially up front, with the front office and coaching staff clearly willing to keep mixing experienced additions with developmental pieces as the season approaches.
Myles Hintons move onto the active roster adds another layer to that picture, because it shows the Bengals are not just filling spots, but trying to create real competition at positions where reliability can matter quickly. Taylor framed the additions as part of the ongoing competition and growth process, and for players fighting to stick, this is exactly the kind of late-summer window that can change a path before Week 1 arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Offense May Look Very Different When Week 1 Arrives
The Bengals have spent the preseason showing a clearer offensive identity, and it has started with how often Joe Burrow is being asked to sell the run before pulling up to throw. Cincinnati has leaned harder into play-action, using it far more than it did in the previous regular season, and Burrow has acknowledged the teams commitment to building explosive plays off the ground game. It is a noticeable shift for an offense that has often been associated with Burrow operating from more familiar passing looks.
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
The Bengals trimmed their tight end room by releasing Tanner Hudson, but the bigger story may be what the move says about how they want to deploy the group. Cincinnati opened with five tight ends on the 53-man roster, and the early signs point toward more 12 and 13 personnel looks, giving the offense a chance to stress defenses with size, flexibility and formation variety.
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 🡒]