Cashius Howell is starting to look like the kind of rookie the Bengals have been waiting for.
That’s a notable shift for a team whose recent draft history has featured plenty of slow burns and more than a few misses. But Howell is already drawing strong words from Zac Taylor, and the Bengals coach didn’t sound like he was just going through the usual motions when he spoke about the second-round pick.
“He's done everything he can to be used at the maximum volume... He hasn't missed a day since he's been here.
Been a part of every meeting. Every practice.
He's gotten exponentially better with every practice. Every rep.
He's met (with coaches) extra. Feel really good about where he is right now.
Those comments carry extra weight because Taylor usually sticks to broad praise. When he gets specific like this, it tends to mean something.
And Howell has given the Bengals reasons to believe. The Texas A&M standout was the 2025 SEC Defensive Player of the Year after posting 14.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks. Even with his Rueben Bain Jr.-esque arm length, he has not looked held back by his size so far at the NFL level.
That’s part of what makes him stand out in a rookie class where the Bengals have not always gotten immediate returns from high-end defensive picks. Howell’s work ethic and daily approach separate him from what the team dealt with from Shemar Stewart as a rookie, especially in the middle of Stewart’s contract holdout situation and an injury-marred first pro season.
There is still plenty of time for Stewart, and no one is burying him. But if the question is who looks ready to contribute right away, Howell has the edge. Even with The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. reporting that Stewart was a full practice participant on Wednesday, Howell’s momentum is hard to ignore.
The fit matters, too. Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden can use Howell both off-ball and on the edge, which gives him a clean path into the rotation. That versatility lines up well with Golden’s hybrid Viper role, a spot that Boye Mafe will start at.
In Other News...
Cashius Howell Is Suddenly At Center Of Bengals Defensive Hype
Cashius Howell has quickly become one of the most talked-about names around the Bengals defense, and it is easy to see why. Cincinnati used the draft to reshape its front, dealing away its first-round pick to the Giants for Dexter Lawrence before spending its second-round selection on the Texas A&M edge rusher, who arrived with plenty of momentum after being named the 2025 SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a unanimous All-American.
The early buzz has only gotten louder since then, with CBS Sports analyst John Breech going so far as to project Howell as the 2026 Defensive Rookie of the Year and the Bengals as a playoff team. For a defense looking for impact players who can change the conversation, Howell is already being treated like much more than a mid-round addition, even if the real answer about how fast he can tilt games in Cincinnati still has to play out. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Have An Unexpected New Injury Concern Before Week 1
Week 1 practice brought one of those early-season reminders that the Bengals depth will be tested before the games even count. DJ Turner II showed up on the injury report with a hamstring issue and was limited, while JaMarr Chase and Tee Higgins were both back to full participation as they continue working through their own recoveries. For a team trying to build rhythm right away, getting its top receivers on the field matters, but the attention shifted quickly to the new concern in the secondary.
Zac Taylor also spent time updating the status of several players while talking through the bigger picture of continuity and situational football as the season opener approaches. Those are the kinds of details that tend to matter more once the first kickoff arrives, especially for a Bengals team hoping to avoid any early disruption in a unit that needs all its pieces ready. For now, the key question is how much Turners hamstring affects the week ahead and whether it lingers past the initial practice report. [Read more 🡒]
Ja'Marr Chase Sent Bengals Fans An Encouraging Message Before Sunday
Ja'Marr Chases return to full participation in practice comes with a little extra reassurance for Bengals fans who watched him deal with a minor knee hyperextension last month. Entering the 2026 season, the star receiver said he feels fully healthy again, and he struck a confident tone about both his body and the energy around the team as preparations move toward opening weekend.
The timing of the schedule is one thing Chase clearly did not hide his opinion on, since he said he would rather not be dealing with 1 p.m. starts. But the bigger takeaway for Cincinnati is simpler: its top pass-catching threat sounds ready to go, and after a brief scare in the summer, that is the sort of update that matters most this time of year. [Read more 🡒]