The Bengals have set their leadership group for 2026, and the list comes with a mix of familiar faces and a few newer additions.
On Monday afternoon, Cincinnati announced seven captains: Ted Karras, Dexter Lawrence, Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, DJ Turner, Bryan Cook and Evan McPherson. The team broke the news in a large huddle before Monday’s practice, with Zac Taylor expected to address the selections later in the day during his media availability.
The breakdown is straightforward: three captains on offense, three on defense and McPherson handling special teams.
Some of the names were no surprise. The offensive group stayed intact, while Burrow is back for his seventh straight season as a captain and Karras is entering his fifth. McPherson earned captain status for the second time, and the two free agent additions also received recognition in the group.
Taylor sounded upbeat about where his team stands as the season opener approaches. Last week, he said, "I think we put in really good work," Taylor said last week.
"I feel good about that part of it. That won't mean anything beyond this first game.
We've got to go out there and have a great plan, and we got to understand the plan, and we got to be able to execute it. We got to be able to put guys in positions to make the plays, because nobody's going to care after this first game how training camp went.
We just got to put ourselves in position to win. So, I feel like we covered a lot of the things that we set out to cover.
So we checked those boxes.
"Now, are we putting our guys in a position to go execute it, so that we can start 1-0? That's the biggest thing, and then capitalize on this heat.
We got heat this week. I expect it's going to be hot Sunday at one when we play the game.
I just imagine they're practicing in a lot of heat. So this is great for me as head coach: it's as hot as it is today and tomorrow and Thursday, and let's get out there and get some work."
Cincinnati opens the season at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday against Tampa Bay.
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Landon Robinson Is Forcing His Way Into The Bengals D-Line Fight
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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 🡒]
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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 🡒]