The Bengals are at that point in August where the hard part begins. The preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles is in the books, and now Cincinnati has to sort through a crowded roster and decide who survives the cut to 53.
There’s no shortage of confidence around this team heading into 2026. Joe Burrow is healthy again, the offense still has its usual group of top-end playmakers, and the defense has been reinforced in a major way with Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen added to the mix.
The betting markets are buying in, too. FanDuel has Cincinnati at +170 to win the AFC North, +900 to win the AFC Championship, and +2000 to win Super Bowl LXI. The Bengals are also -196 to make the playoffs and -165 to win more than 9.5 games.
But optimism doesn’t make the roster math any easier. There are real battles across the depth chart, and some players who may have felt safe at the start of camp are now sitting in a much tighter race.
One of the more interesting names to watch is Tahj Brooks. The former Texas Tech running back hasn’t done quite enough to make his spot feel locked in, especially with competition at the position and other options in play.
On the defensive interior, T.J. Slaton is in the middle of a tricky numbers game. He brings plenty of NFL experience and still has a strong case to make the team, but the Bengals have added enough competition there to make this one worth monitoring closely.
At wide receiver, Mitchell Tinsley has turned the conversation in a different direction. His recent push has made the battle more compelling, and if he keeps showing he can help on offense and special teams, he could force Cincinnati into a difficult call somewhere else.
That competition also affects Charlie Jones. He knows the offense well and has been useful as a returner, but the rise of Tinsley, Dohnte Meyers, and Ke’Shawn Williams has made the receiver/returner picture far less settled.
Tight end is another spot with a lot going on, and Jack Endries has added to the intrigue. The Bengals will have to decide how many players they want to keep there, and whether those roster spots are better used elsewhere.
For now, the official cut tracker is still blank across the board, with no cuts, surprises, or notes listed yet at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, offensive line, defensive line, edge rusher, linebacker, cornerback, safety, kicker, punter, or long snapper.
The next few days will give the coaching staff one last chance to settle things before the regular season starts. Some jobs are already spoken for, but the real drama lives at the bottom of the roster, where one play can change everything.
That’s where the Bengals’ decisions could matter most. Cincinnati has real postseason goals, and maybe more than that. With Burrow talking openly about manifesting a Super Bowl and the market giving the Bengals a legitimate shot to win the AFC North, the room for mistakes is shrinking fast.
In Other News...
Zac Taylor Enters A Bengals Season With Pressure Building Fast
The early stretch of this season figures to matter a lot in Cincinnati, where Zac Taylor enters with the kind of pressure that comes with a coach whose team is expected to contend but has not left much margin for error. Around the league, coaches like Todd Bowles, Nick Sirianni and Aaron Glenn are also being watched closely, but Taylors situation stands out because the Bengals are once again trying to prove they can stay competitive in a tough division while dealing with the usual turbulence that comes with roster and staff turnover.
For Taylor, the heat is less about one bad Sunday than the broader expectation that a team built around high-end talent should look ready from the start. If Cincinnati stumbles early, the conversation around the head coach could get loud in a hurry, especially with the NFLs impatience toward teams that fail to translate talent into wins. The Bengals do not need a perfect opening month, but they do need enough traction to keep the season from turning into an uncomfortable referendum on the coach. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Suddenly Have A Roster Edge That Could Matter Fast
With the final preseason game of 2026 on deck, the Bengals are staring at the same late-summer roster crunch every team faces, only this time theyve got a little more leverage than usual. Cincinnati must get down to 53 players by the Aug. 30 deadline, and the bigger question for the front office is whether it can turn its waiver position into help where it needs it most, with backup offensive tackle still unsettled.
The Bengals sit tenth on the waiver wire because of their 2025 draft order, a spot that could matter quickly if the market for line depth gets busy. The Ravens and Texans are also expected to be in the hunt for offensive line reinforcements after recent injuries, which means Cincinnati may have to move fast if it wants to land a usable reserve, whether that comes through a waiver claim or a trade. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Bubble Players Face One Last Shot Before Final Cuts
The Bengals are heading into their final preseason game against the Eagles with a familiar kind of tension hanging over the roster. For a lot of young players and fringe veterans, this is the last real chance to make a case before the NFLs cutdown deadline forces every team down to 53 players, and Cincinnati has plenty of decisions still to sort through. Connor Lew, Dohntae Meyers and Landon Robinson are among the names likely to get another long look as the staff tries to separate developmental upside from the hard math of roster construction.
For players on the bubble, the margin is thin because the preseason is nearly over and the Bengals have already spent the summer reshaping parts of the roster through offseason additions. These games are where depth charts can still move, special teams work can matter just as much as highlight plays, and a single strong outing can change how a player is viewed going into cutdown day. Even with the bigger picture starting to come into focus, there is still room for a few auditions to alter the conversation. [Read more 🡒]