Cashius Howell wasted no time putting his name in the preseason conversation.
In the Bengals’ opening win over the Lions, the team’s top pick in this year’s class showed up all over the field. Howell shared a quarterback sack with Kris Jenkins Jr., added a run stop, and came away with a fumble recovery. That kind of first impression is exactly why summer buzz is already building around him as an early Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate.
The reaction around Cincinnati has been tied to more than just one stat line. Howell’s debut has also fed into the larger conversation about the Bengals’ revamped defense, which was one of the biggest talking points coming out of the weekend. With a bunch of new faces on both sides of the ball, the preseason opener gave fans plenty to chew on.
It also brought fresh attention to the draft choice itself. When the Bengals took Howell this year, it reopened the familiar debate over production versus upside, especially with Howell now reunited with former college teammate Shemar Stewart.
There was more good news for the defense as well. Bengals defensive tackle B.J. Hill has passed a physical and is cleared to practice.
The preseason opener, while far from perfect, still left the impression that plenty of what unfolded in Week 1 was encouraging for Cincinnati. And for a team that has struggled for years to get much out of its preseason offensive possessions, that kind of positive start on the defensive side stood out.
Elsewhere around the NFL, Week 1 of the 2026 preseason brought its own takeaways, including Tua underwhelming in ATL debut. There’s also continued uncertainty around J.J.
McCarthy, with opposing teams digging into him this summer in case the young quarterback becomes available via trade. In New England, Christian Gonzalez was again held out of practice on Saturday as he works back from an injury he sustained in a workout last week, even as extension talks continue.
The Chiefs are set to return to action on Saturday for their first preseason game of 2026, with plenty of ground still to cover to get back to where they were not all that long ago.
In Other News...
Landon Robinson Just Turned Up The Heat On A Bengals Roster Battle
Landon Robinson wasted little time making his preseason case in his first live action for the Bengals, logging 45 defensive snaps against the Lions and flashing the kind of interior pressure that can get a coaching staffs attention. The seventh-round picks path already makes him easy to root for - a high school linebacker turned defensive tackle whose work ethic and physical development have helped him carve out a real shot in a crowded room.
Cincinnatis defensive tackle group is deep enough that every snap matters, and Robinsons debut only adds another layer to an already interesting numbers game. His run defense still has room to grow, but the bigger question now is how the Bengals will sort out the back end of the position group as roster decisions get tougher, especially with Kris Jenkins status part of the larger equation. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Get One Defensive Boost But Another Concern Isn't Going Away
The Bengals got back to work after their preseason opener against the Lions, and the first signs from practice were mixed in the way camp often is in August. B.J. Hill finally made his training camp debut after rehabbing an ankle injury, giving Cincinnati a needed boost on the defensive front, while Tacario Davis also returned after sitting out the exhibition game. The team went through offensive and defensive drills with joint work against the Bears coming later in the week, and there were some bright moments on the field from D.J. Ivey along with touchdowns by Tee Higgins and Colbie Young.
Still, one of the more watchful storylines around the defense is not disappearing anytime soon. Myles Murphy briefly left practice after dealing with cramps, then walked off under his own power, which kept the focus on a unit trying to get healthier and more settled before the next round of live work. The Bengals have enough moving pieces already, and every return helps, but camp always has a way of reminding a team that the injury picture can change quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Justin Herbert Is Now Part Of An NFL Debate Fans Will Notice
The NFL has been leaning harder into lifestyle content lately, and training camp has become a clear part of that push. Social feeds have been filled with more personal snapshots of players and their partners as the league looks for new ways to connect with female fans, with Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow among the names that have surfaced in that mix. It is a noticeable shift in how the league presents its stars, moving beyond the field and into the moments that make them feel more accessible.
The timing also says plenty about where the league thinks the conversation is headed. The Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift relationship showed how much attention can be generated when football and celebrity culture overlap, even as some of that buzz led to public questions about how authentic the fascination really was. For Bengals fans, it is another reminder that Burrow and the sports biggest names are now part of a broader debate over how the NFL markets itself, and what kind of audience it wants to keep pulling in. [Read more 🡒]