As Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals get set to open their 2026 campaign, the team has already sent a pretty clear message about who it trusts to set the tone. Cincinnati announced seven captains for the season, and three of them are new to the role: cornerback DJ Turner, defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and safety Bryan Cook.
Lawrence was always the obvious name on that list. He’s heading into his eighth NFL season, and over that stretch he’s built a reputation as one of the best nose tackles in the league. Even in his first year in Cincinnati, his production and experience make him an easy fit as a leader.
But Cook is the name that feels a little more revealing.
The Bengals signed him in free agency and it looked like a smart move from the jump. He already knows what winning at the highest level looks like, with two championships in Kansas City, and his return to Cincinnati - where he starred as a Bearcats safety - had the feel of a homecoming. Everything out of training camp has only strengthened that impression.
By naming Cook a captain, the Bengals are showing just how quickly he’s earned the trust of the locker room. His impact on the defense may end up being every bit as important as Lawrence’s, maybe even more so.
That idea isn’t new. Back in June, the thought was that Cook could be the kind of steady, vocal presence the Bengals had in Vonn Bell in 2021, when Bell was more than a playmaker and became one of the defining faces of that Super Bowl defense. The captaincy only reinforces that possibility.
Cook’s first comments after getting the honor fit the role perfectly.
"It’s an honour and a gift. It’s a privilege to be part of this group and to lead this team to something that we can hopefully talk about for years."
"I’m someone to depend on back there…someone to lean on when times are rough."
If he gives Cincinnati anything close to what Bell provided in 2021, the Bengals may have more than just another veteran in the secondary. They may have a true defensive backbone.
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 Get A Needed Tight End Back With One Concern Still Lurking
Erick All Jr. finally gives the Bengals another healthy tight end option after a long road back from a torn ACL and two surgeries, a stretch that kept him out long enough to make his return feel like real depth news for Cincinnati. His clearance matters for a team that has been looking for more reliability and flexibility at the position, especially with camp serving as the first real checkpoint for where he stands physically.
Still, there is a little unease attached to the comeback. All did deal with some knee soreness during training camp, so the Bengals will be watching closely to see how he responds as the workload ramps up and the season approaches. For a player coming off such a serious injury history, getting back on the field is only part of the story, and Cincinnati will want to know whether the knee holds up once the hits start coming for real. [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 🡒]