The Bengals are getting Erick All Jr. back in the mix, and the tight end says he’s finally in a place where the team isn’t holding him back.
All, entering the third year of his career, has not played since his rookie season after tearing his ACL and undergoing two surgeries. He said he was relieved to learn he will not be limited in training camp after briefly worrying that could be the case.
“Honestly, I had no idea,” All said, via Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. “I kind of got worried they were going to (limit me).
I’m glad they are not doing that. Because I was getting some work during camp, but I kind of felt like I needed more, so it feels good to hear that.”
All said the knee still has days when it feels off, but he views that as part of the recovery process.
“There are some days where my knee feels a little weird or a little different, but it is still healing and everything is good,” All said.
He was on the field for only six preseason snaps, and he said the Bengals’ medical staff stepped in when he wanted to push through discomfort.
“It was a point to where they sat me down, I sat down for a little week or so,” All said. “I missed a couple practices where I felt like I could do something, where I wanted to play through that kind of soreness in my knee.”
In Baltimore, Ravens head coach Jesse Minter said defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike is still being handled on a day-to-day basis for Week 1 against the Colts.
“He’s progressing really well. He’s been in a few team reps and done some things,” Minter said, via the team website.
“To his credit, we’ve wanted this to be a really smart and proactive approach to get him ready to play football after dealing with what he went through, also the surgery that he went through. We feel good about where it’s at today.
It’s still a day-to-day process, but we certainly have seen some things that indicate great things ahead for Nnamdi.”
And in Pittsburgh, former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin addressed the 2025 trade that sent George Pickens to the Cowboys and brought in DK Metcalf.
On “The Rich Eisen Show,” Tomlin said Pickens wasn’t developing in the ways the Steelers had hoped for their “long-range plans.”
“ You draft young players that are talented. You help them develop,” Tomlin said.
“If they’re developing in the right ways, if they fit your long-range plans, then you do second contract business with them. It didn’t happen for us with George, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that that he’s not going to be a spectacular player.”
Tomlin also said the Steelers were looking for more than talent on a second contract, pointing to leadership and intangibles as part of the evaluation.
“For us, I just thought it’s not only play, but it’s development in other areas, intangible areas,” Tomlin said. “I think when you’re a high dollar second contract guy, I think there’s some leadership responsibilities and things of that nature and I just don’t feel like that was in his natural wheelhouse. We felt better about about DK’s abilities in those areas.”
In Other News...
Landon Robinson Is Forcing His Way Into The Bengals D-Line Fight
Landon Robinson arrived in Cincinnati with the kind of draft pedigree that usually means a player has to make noise the hard way, but he has done exactly that through training camp and the preseason. The Bengals took the defensive tackle in the seventh round, yet he has already worked his way into the conversation with a mix of versatility and steady impact, showing enough to get noticed beyond the usual rookie buzz.
For a Cincinnati defensive line group that has plenty of competition, Robinsons rise is the interesting part. Analysts have pointed to him as a player who can help in multiple phases, whether as a pass rusher or against the run, and he even landed on a list of promising rookies projected to become future draft hits despite being the lowest-drafted name on it. The real question now is how much of that momentum he can carry once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Newcomer Is Already Emerging As A Defensive Voice
The Bengals captain group for 2026 reflects a defense that is leaning on both familiar faces and fresh arrivals, with DJ Turner, Dexter Lawrence and Bryan Cook joining the leadership mix. Cook stands out in particular. Signed in free agency after helping Kansas City to two Super Bowl titles, the safety has settled in quickly and already earned the respect of teammates and coaches enough to be named one of the teams defensive leaders.
For Cincinnati, that kind of early buy-in matters as much as any play on the field. In his first interview as a captain, Cook talked about his commitment to leading and being a dependable presence on defense, a notable development for a newcomer still learning the ropes in a new locker room. If the Bengals were looking for a player who could bring both experience and authority to a changing unit, Cook appears to be wasting no time making his case. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Face A Tough Extension Call With Key Young Players
As the Bengals head into the season with a few important young pieces still on the clock, the conversation around extensions has started to sharpen. ESPNs Jeremy Fowler said the club is unlikely to get any of them done before kickoff, even with Chase Brown viewed as the most plausible candidate among the group.
DJ Turner II looks like the harder call, mostly because the cornerback market keeps climbing and could push Cincinnati toward a wait-and-see approach. Fowler suggested Turner may simply play out his deal, with a franchise tag also in play down the road, and the Bengals decision not to use the tag this offseason leaves open the possibility they could need it next year for one of their bigger names. [Read more 🡒]