The Bengals’ preseason trip through Week 2 is less about the scoreboard and more about the players fighting for real estate on the back end of the roster. Cincinnati hosts the Bears on Saturday night at Paycor Stadium, and with Zac Taylor already saying the starters will sit no matter how Thursday’s joint practice went, the focus shifts to the backup battles and the handful of questions that still hang over this team.
One of the biggest is whether Cincinnati’s shift to more under-center runs can actually move the needle. The Bengals are built around their strengths, and those strengths are no mystery: they’re bringing back all 11 starters, they run efficiently when Joe Burrow is on the field, and the offense still lives mostly in Burrow’s shotgun dropback world.
But the Bengals are trying to lean more on under-center looks this year, both to better protect Burrow and to tap into Chase Brown’s potential during a contract year. That plan didn’t look especially sharp in the preseason opener against the Lions, though Joe Flacco may be better equipped than Burrow to show what it should look like.
Tight end is another spot where Saturday could tell us something useful. Erick All Jr. has been getting plenty of first-team work in camp, but he missed the exhibition win over Detroit while working back from a knee injury.
The question is whether the staff views him as a starter or as someone who still needs to prove it in game action. Drew Sample sits atop the depth chart, and the idea of keeping All on ice much longer feels risky if Cincinnati expects him to carry a real role in the opener.
Week 2 of the preseason would be the obvious chance to see him in live reps.
The defensive line rotation also deserves a long look, especially with Shemar Stewart injured. His absence has opened the door for others, including rookie second-ronder Cashius Howell and veteran Cedric Johnson.
Howell should get an extended run in the “Viper” hybrid edge role in Al Golden’s scheme, where he’s expected to back up Boye Mafe. Inside, the rest of the tackle rotation is worth watching as well, since Dexter Lawrence, Joanthan Allen, and B.J.
Hill won’t be out there. Landon Robinson, a seventh-round pick, could even end up beating out 2024 second-rounder Kris Jenkins Jr. for the last spot on the line.
And then there’s the No. 2 nose tackle job, where T.J. Slaton has the inside track, but McKinnley Jackson could still make things interesting enough to force a decision that would free up $6.66 million in cap room.
Dohnte Meyers is another name that keeps popping. He’s pushing for receiver reps while also flashing as a return man, and CBS Cincinnati’s Yanni Tragellis reported that he broke one in joint practice that looked like it could have gone for a score in a game setting.
Burrow’s story about Meyers driving through the night from Atlanta to Cincinnati for a throwing session gave him a little extra buzz, but the production matters too. In his NFL preseason debut, Meyers logged a 13-yard run and three catches.
He’s making a strong case, and right now it looks like he’ll be in the mix for a roster spot.
Then there’s Jack Endries, who keeps making the most of his chances. The seventh-round pick has already shown why Cincinnati liked him, catching a touchdown from Joe Flacco in Week 1 of the preseason after working with Feranndo Mendoza and Arch Manning in college.
Endries brings athleticism, willingness as a blocker, and real pass-catching ability. If he gets enough reps against the Bears’ backups, he could keep climbing, maybe even past Tanner Hudson on the depth chart.
That tight end development ties back to the bigger offensive picture. The more comfortable the Bengals get using multiple tight ends, the more dangerous their under-center run game can become. And if that part of the offense starts to click, it only creates better chances for Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins to do what they do best: hit explosive plays through the air.
In Other News...
Bengals Roster Bubble Gets Real For 3 Players Against The Bears
With the starters expected to sit out against the Bears, Cincinnatis second preseason game shifts the spotlight to the players fighting for jobs a little deeper on the roster. For Landon Robinson, Dohnte Meyers and Colbie Young, this is the kind of night that can matter more than the score, because every snap is part of the case they are making for a spot on the final 53.
Robinson has offered the Bengals some intrigue as a defensive tackle who can also line up at fullback, while Meyers brings value with his ability to help as both a receiver and a returner. Young, meanwhile, is in a crowded wideout race and needs to keep showing he can carve out playing time. In a preseason where opportunities will be limited for many, these three have a chance to turn a routine August game into something much more meaningful. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Still Have One Threat To Their Super Bowl Hopes
Protecting Joe Burrow remains the issue that hangs over the Bengals whenever the conversation turns from talent to staying power. JaMarr Chase underscored it again as Cincinnati looks ahead to 2026, and for good reason: the offense can still look dangerous on paper, but everything starts with Burrow being upright long enough to make it matter.
The Bengals did cut down on sacks allowed in 2025, yet Burrow still took 17 in eight games, a number that helped cut short his season and limited what the offense could become. Cincinnati has not made major changes up front, choosing instead to trust the lines cohesion, but until that unit proves it can keep Burrow clean, the teams Super Bowl hopes will keep feeling fragile. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Defense Is Showing A Toughness Fans Have Been Waiting For
Cashius Howell has been one of the quieter stories of Bengals training camp, but the rookie defensive end is starting to make his presence felt. His growth showed up in a joint practice against the Bears, where Cincinnatis defense put together one of its sharper stretches and Howell was part of the pressure that helped set up an interception by Dexter Lawrence.
For a defense that spent last season trying to find more consistency, those late-practice sequences matter. The Bengals were working with better chemistry and a more decisive finish, and Howell pointed to that as the kind of standard that needs to carry over once the games count. [Read more 🡒]