A rainy start sent the Bengals indoors for the opening stretch of Day 4 of training camp, but the team eventually got back outside to the Kettering Health Practice Fields to finish the day. Saturday closed out the first four-day run of camp, with an off day on tap Sunday and pads set to come on Monday.
The local beat had plenty to chew on, and the early buzz centered on a defense that appears to be meeting the offense at the line rather than giving it easy answers. Charlie Goldsmith’s read on that matchup drew notice, and the bigger takeaway is pretty clear: if offense and defense keep pushing each other like this, Cincinnati may be getting exactly what it wanted out of camp.
There was also a lot of attention on the Bengals’ passing game, and for good reason. Joe Burrow put one in the air that was described as an absolute rainbow, and Andrei Iosivas finished it with a catch in stride. Plays like that are the kind that make a receiving group look dangerous in a hurry, and Iosivas’ ability to keep showing up as a reliable third option keeps standing out.
Ja’Marr Chase was in the middle of more of the same. One rep had him winning with a sharp route, getting both feet down, and showing the kind of ball control that makes coverage look useless when Burrow and Chase are locked in together. On the other side, Josh Newton had to really work to get a hand on the ball and break up a throw to Chase, and that matchup has already been a theme in camp - including the scuffle that broke out on Day 1.
The offensive line got its share of praise too. Ted Karras called it “Grown man.”
That kind of line from one of the group’s leaders says plenty about how the Bengals feel about that unit right now. And the line’s value isn’t just about keeping Burrow upright.
The running game matters here too, and when Cincinnati can move the ball on the ground, it becomes even harder to deal with everything else this offense can throw at a defense.
There’s also been positive noise around Mitchell Tinsley, who has looked really good through the first four days of camp. He already showed what he could do in Baltimore on Thanksgiving last season, and the Bengals may need him at different points this year. That makes his strong start all the more encouraging.
On the other side of the ball, the vibe is different in a way that’s hard to miss. Dexter Lawrence has helped create that edge, and the defense’s energy has clearly changed with him around. That’s a major compliment, and it matches the feeling coming out of the first four days: this camp has some real heat to it already.
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Robinsons background helps explain why the foundation feels personal rather than ceremonial. A former second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps, he has stressed the importance of mental health advocacy and making sure young people have places to turn when life gets heavy. The foundation also plans to use physical activities as outlets for support, and that broader approach leaves plenty of room to see how far Robinson can take the effort once the football side of his Bengals career starts to unfold. [Read more 🡒]