The Bengals got a welcome sight on Sunday: Dax Hill was back on the practice field during a closed session, moving well after spending much of the past month dealing with a soft-tissue injury.
The team’s social media account shared a mash-up of players working in the closed practice, and Hill was part of it. If there are no setbacks, he now looks positioned to be ready for the season opener against Tampa Bay.
That leaves two notable injury situations still hanging over Cincinnati’s first week of prep: defensive end Shemar Stewart and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Stewart’s knee injury was described as more serious than Chase’s, and his timeline from late July suggests he likely won’t be available for the opener or Week 2. Zac Taylor is expected to have an update on Chase Tuesday afternoon.
The Bengals will open the week with the outside media getting its first look at tomorrow’s practice as Cincinnati shifts fully into Week 1 preparation.
Taylor said the final stretch of the preseason is really about stacking reps and getting the roster comfortable with game-like situations.
“We just need to continue to practice, and I think just as many situations as we can put ourselves in, get our players comfortable with that," Taylor said. "But we’ve gotten good work at this point.
Now, we’re going to do some three-day stretches. We’re getting some good work this week, leading into Philly, and then three days leading into a bye, so we’re really looking at nine practices there.
Ten practices, really, to get to Tampa Bay. So, that’s the way I think of it.
We’ve got 10 real practices to get ourselves ready to go, and that’s really where our focus department turns to."
Chase’s own comments from last Tuesday didn’t sound like someone dealing with a major setback. He described the play as a misstep and said he was fine.
"Just a football play, misstepped, missed my footing, and it's a little tweak, but I'm fine. I don't know like what exactly went down or how I did it.
I'mma be honest, I really don't know. It was like an incident of me missing the ground or missing my footing or something like that," Chase said at his locker last Tuesday.
"I mean, when it first happened, I sat back down on the ground. I just took a minute to thank God, just prayed for a second, then I got up.
So I mean, other than that, I can't really think about nothing but God and just making sure I'm alright."
In Other News...
Bengals Final Roster Leaves Two Thin Spots Fans Will Watch Closely
The Bengals have set their 53-man roster for the regular season, and the final group brings a mix of familiar names, a few surprises and a roster that looks capable of competing right away. Landon Robinson made the cut, Ke'Shawn Williams earned a spot at wide receiver while also handling return duties, and Josh Newton was added after Ja'Sir Taylor landed on injured reserve, giving Cincinnati a few clear answers as the team moves from roster construction into game planning.
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 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 🡒]