The Bengals are heading into the first official game week with some welcome momentum on the injury front.
After a couple of scares in training camp, Cincinnati is suddenly looking healthier at just the right time. Several key players were back on the practice field Monday, and that includes wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, which gives the team a much better outlook as Sunday approaches.
The Bengals hadn’t sounded alarm bells when Chase and Higgins missed practice last week, and that confidence appears to have held. Their return to the field is a major boost as the offense gets ready for Week 1.
There’s also reason for optimism around Shemar Stewart, who only a few weeks ago was thought to have a serious knee injury. Now, he could have a shot to play in Week 1. That matters for a defensive line Cincinnati is counting on to bring more disruption, and Stewart’s development could be a big part of that push back toward the postseason.
Stewart also talked about what it has been like to learn from the veteran receivers around him. “These guys are full of knowledge,” Stewart told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com.
“They know what they’re talking about. They know how to set people up, they know how to track people.
Even though I haven’t been around playing football, I feel more situationally aware just hearing them talk in the meetings.”
On the leadership side, the Bengals also announced their 2026 team captains, and there are plenty of familiar names on the list. Dexter Lawrence II, though, is already making a strong impression after the blockbuster trade in April, and now he is being recognized as the leader of what the Bengals see as their most important unit in 2026.
Lawrence said the captain role fits the way he operates in the locker room. “I try to be genuine with everybody in this locker room because I care about them, and I care about this team, and I wanna win, it just happens naturally,” Lawrence said. “I think you just take things from each one of those guys and implement it to yourself and keep growing, guys like Brian Burns is a great leader, Saquan is a great leader, you just pick and choose things that they do well good and try to implement it.”
Zac Taylor also made a clear demand for fans as the Bengals prepare for the 2026 opener, echoing what he asked of them last year.
In Other News...
Bengals Just Lost One Big Advantage Heading Into Week 1
The Bengals were already bracing for a tough road test in Week 1, and Tampa Bay has spent the week removing a few of the uncertainties that can make an opener messy. Vita Vea is now back in the fold on a one-year extension, Baker Mayfield has settled into a three-year extension, and the Buccaneers have a little more stability on both sides of the ball than they did when the week began.
Cincinnati also appears headed for a more complete version of Tampa Bay than the Bengals may have hoped for. Wide receivers Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan have both practiced this week and are expected to be available, which only adds to the sense that the Buccaneers are close to full strength entering Sunday. For a Bengals team trying to open the season with a clean start, the margin for error just got a little smaller. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Have A Surprise New Receiver Fans Should Be Watching
Dohnte Meyers has already packed a lot into his path to the Bengals 53-man roster, and now the former CFL standout is suddenly in the mix as a receiver worth monitoring. After recovering from shoulder surgery and helping win the Grey Cup in Canada, Meyers fought his way onto Cincinnatis roster and gives the team another fresh look at a position where every spot has to be earned.
For Bengals fans, the appeal is obvious: Meyers brings a different backstory and a late-blooming resume into a receiver room that always seems to be one injury or one hot streak away from reshaping itself. His arrival comes amid plenty of AFC North movement elsewhere, but Cincinnatis interest is in whether he can turn a surprising roster spot into something more when the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Erick All Gives Bengals A New Week 1 Question To Watch
Erick All Jr. is back in the conversation for Cincinnati just in time for Week 1, and it adds a fresh layer to a position group already drawing attention. The tight end missed the entire previous season while dealing with knee injuries, but he said he is fully healthy now and preparing to return to action as the Bengals open the year.
Alls comeback makes him one of the more interesting pieces to watch as the season begins, especially because his game is built around a physical style that puts stress on the body. In an interview ahead of the opener, he talked about the work that went into getting back and the importance of staying healthy while trying to help the Bengals win, leaving the real question now on how quickly he can fit back in once the games count. [Read more 🡒]