Saturday night’s preseason game against the Chicago Bears may not feature Joe Burrow or the Bengals’ starters, but there’s still plenty to sort through at Paycor Stadium.
Zac Taylor said Thursday that Burrow and the rest of the starters will sit out against Chicago, and they also aren’t expected to play next Friday in the preseason finale at Philadelphia. That leaves the focus squarely on roster battles, depth-chart jockeying and a few players trying to turn one strong showing into a real role.
One of the clearest competitions is at returner. Dohnte Meyers has already caught attention as a receiver, but his best route to the 53-man roster likely runs through special teams.
The battle with Charlie Jones and Ke’Shawn Williams for the sixth receiver spot is largely tied to kick and punt return work. Jones has had only one receiving target in 2025 and one in 2024, so the Bengals would like more offensive production there, but it isn’t a must.
Last week, Williams handled both kick returns and flashed on one of them with a 48-yarder, while the other went for 25. On punt returns, Meyers had 11 yards, Williams had 7 and Jones had 0.
Jones and Meyers also had fair catches.
The backfield is another place to watch closely. Chase Brown won’t play, and Samaje Perine only got four snaps in the preseason opener against the Detroit Lions, so Tahj Brooks should get a much bigger opportunity against Chicago.
Brooks had two drops against Detroit, and reliability as a receiver is a non-negotiable in the Bengals’ offense. He finished that game with one catch for eight yards on three targets and just one carry for 1 yard.
That’s a thin line for a 2025 sixth-round pick who is still trying to prove himself after logging only 16 carries and two targets as a rookie.
Defensively, the challenge is about to get real. The Bears are expected to play their starters, which means Cincinnati’s backup corners and safeties will be tested by Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson’s offense.
Safety Russ Yeast has put himself in the conversation for a roster spot and grabbed an interception last week against Detroit. Ja’Sir Taylor looks like a roster lock because of what he brings on special teams, but he could keep pushing Jalen Davis for the starting nickel job.
Bralyn Lux is also making noise. DJ Ivey, meanwhile, has already filled in for Dax Hill and made some plays against Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase, and now he gets another chance to strengthen his case as CB3.
The offensive line deserves attention too, especially Jalen Rivers. After the 2025 preseason opener, the Bengals moved him from tackle to guard and kept him there for every rep the rest of the season and in the 2026 offseason.
But after last week’s game against the Lions, the coaches told Rivers they want another look at him at left tackle with the swing tackle spot still unsettled. Cody Ford, Javon Foster and Andrew Coker have all failed to separate, so Rivers is next in line.
Expect him to see plenty of action against the Bears, including a starting stint against Chicago’s top edge rushers for a couple of series.
Taylor’s announcement that the starters won’t play doesn’t just apply to the obvious names. It usually extends to the top backups too, which means the official game book should be packed with “did not play” designations.
There are 22 starters on offense and defense, but the list could wind up being closer to 36 names. That makes it easy to read between the lines: if a player is dressed and active, he’s still in the fight.
If he’s on the sideline in Bengals pro shop apparel, the picture is different.
And one more thing to monitor: who’s still out there late. Players still in the game after the midway point of the third quarter usually aren’t in great shape on the roster front, though Tanner Hudson appears safe and still played into the fourth quarter against Detroit. Some players are exceptions because of experience or numbers, including rookie offensive lineman Brian Parker, who played a team-high 17 snaps in the fourth quarter last week and looks locked in.
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