The Bengals’ preseason opener did more than give Cincinnati a win over Detroit on Thursday. It also started sorting out a wide receiver race that already looks crowded, and Kendric Pryor appears to be on the wrong side of it.
Pryor did not play against the Lions, and that alone only sharpened the questions around his roster chances. As the Bengals move toward final cuts, the fight for the back end of the receiver group is getting tighter by the day.
In an updated 53-man roster projection, Bengals on SI reporter Jay Morrison left Pryor off the active roster and instead projected Cincinnati to keep Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Andrei Iosivas, Colbie Young, Mitch Tinsley, and Dohnte Meyers.
Morrison pointed to the way the competition has shifted, writing, “The battle for the final spot will be more about kick/punt returner duties than receiving, with Williams firing the first salvo in the battle with an impressive 48-yard kick return against the Lions. But then there’s Dohnte Meyers, who just continues to make plays,”
Meyers backed that up in the preseason opener. He led the Bengals in receiving yards, added an 11-yard punt return and chipped in a 13-yard run on a jet sweep. Those kinds of snaps matter when roster spots are limited, and they clearly helped his case.
Morrison also noted, “The Bengals have kept at least six receivers in 19 of the last 20 seasons, with the lone exception being 2022 when they kept just five (Chase, Higgins, Tyler Boyd, Stanley Morgan Jr. and Trent Taylor).”
Even with that track record, Pryor’s path remains steep. He came back to Cincinnati this offseason after spending several years around the organization.
The Bengals first signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2022, then the Jaguars claimed him after Cincinnati waived him. He returned to the Bengals after Jacksonville’s roster cuts in 2023.
Before the 2022 NFL Draft, SB Nation’s Owen Riese described Pryor as “an explosive athlete” with strong hands and experience both outside and in the slot.
That upside has not been enough to secure a permanent place on the 53-man roster. A to Z Sports reporter John Sheeran recently gave Pryor just a 10% shot at making the final cut, saying the Bengals view him mostly as practice squad depth who could be called up if injuries pile up.
Pryor still has a few preseason games left, but the opening week did not help his case.
In Other News...
Bengals First Look At Burrows New Offense Raised One Early Concern
The Bengals got their first preseason win out of the way with a 16-14 result, and the more meaningful part for Cincinnati was seeing most of the starters on the field for an opening look at Joe Burrows new offense. Burrow was sharp enough in limited work, and the defense, even with several key players missing, found a couple of moments to make its presence felt as the team continues building toward the regular season.
Joe Burrows first series under the new setup still offered an early reminder of how fragile that transition can be. Cincinnati got production from the defense as well, with a tipped pass turning into an interception for Jordan Battle and Kris Jenkins adding pressure up front, but the bigger checkpoint now is the joint practice with the Bears on Aug. 20, where the Bengals should learn a lot more about where the offense really stands. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Just Saw A Preseason Concern Grow For Detroit
Detroits preseason game with Cincinnati brought the kind of injury scare every team tries to avoid in August. Running back and return man Jacob Saylors broke off a 27-yard run before leaving with a lower leg injury and struggling to put weight on it, a jarring turn for a player trying to carve out a role in the Lions backfield and return game. The same game also sent defensive back Ennis Rakestraw Jr. to the sideline earlier with an apparent arm injury, adding to the uneasy feeling around a roster still sorting itself out.
The broader picture in Detroit is already a little crowded on the injury front, with head coach Dan Campbell noting Cade Mays will be out a significant stretch because of a wrist issue, while Isiah Pacheco is working back from an MCL sprain and expected for Week 1. Safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch are also on the physically unable to perform list but are expected to be ready when the games count, so the Lions are still hoping this early turbulence stays limited to August. Still, any new hit to depth at this stage tends to make the rest of the preseason a little more precarious. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Depth Battle Already Produced Some Early Standouts
The Bengals used their preseason opener against the Lions to get an early look at a roster that still has plenty of sorting to do, and the first impression was a good one. Cincinnati won 16-14 while giving only limited work to starters such as Joe Burrow, leaving much of the spotlight on the new defensive additions and the rest of the group fighting to carve out roles.
That is where the night got interesting for the Bengals. With Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen among the notable newcomers drawing attention, several players battling for roster spots made their case with disruptive defensive plays, turnovers and contributions from rookies and other young players. The result was more than just a preseason win, because it hinted that the depth chart is already starting to reveal a few early standouts. [Read more 🡒]