The Bengals are set to open their season at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in just a few days, and Joe Burrow remains the biggest reason they can walk into 2026 with real contender status. But a recent conversation with Bengals.com’s Geoff Hobson also offered a closer look at where Burrow is now as a leader.
Burrow, who turns 30 in December, said he’s not trying to force himself into the loudest voice in the room.
“I’ve been pushed to do that in the past,” he said about being the loud voice in the locker room. “Not necessarily here, but just in my football life.
I’ve tried it before, and it’s not really for me. But as I’ve grown and matured, I just think you have to be able to do it at some points, and you can’t be so bad at it when you have to do it.”
That evolution matters for a team with playoff ambitions, especially with the Bengals trying to get off to a clean start after years of uneven openings.
Head coach Zac Taylor made that part of the focus this week.
“Our guys are ready to go,” Taylor said. “Now we’ll spend the last five days here ironing it out … so they can go and help us be 1-0 to start the season.”
There’s also a little uniform history attached to this opener. The Bengals have never lost a game in their orange jerseys and white pants combination, and while the team had been expected to “open in orange,” they’ve gone with white pants instead of orange. Given how last season’s home opener against the Patriots went, that kind of detail doesn’t sound so crazy.
Elsewhere, Cody Ford worked out for the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday. Ford was cut by the Bengals earlier in August after a rough second preseason game. The Bills originally drafted him in the second round in 2019, and over the last three seasons he’s played just about every spot on the line except center.
On the lighter side, Oktoberfest-themed food items are back again, including a schnitzel sandwich and Texas-style smoked sausage. The menu also features eggroll burgers, Thai-style pork belly, and a range of desserts.
In Other News...
Landon Robinson Is Forcing His Way Into The Bengals D-Line Fight
Landon Robinson arrived in Cincinnati with the kind of draft pedigree that usually means a player has to make noise the hard way, but he has done exactly that through training camp and the preseason. The Bengals took the defensive tackle in the seventh round, yet he has already worked his way into the conversation with a mix of versatility and steady impact, showing enough to get noticed beyond the usual rookie buzz.
For a Cincinnati defensive line group that has plenty of competition, Robinsons rise is the interesting part. Analysts have pointed to him as a player who can help in multiple phases, whether as a pass rusher or against the run, and he even landed on a list of promising rookies projected to become future draft hits despite being the lowest-drafted name on it. The real question now is how much of that momentum he can carry once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Get A Needed Tight End Back With One Concern Still Lurking
Erick All Jr. finally gives the Bengals another healthy tight end option after a long road back from a torn ACL and two surgeries, a stretch that kept him out long enough to make his return feel like real depth news for Cincinnati. His clearance matters for a team that has been looking for more reliability and flexibility at the position, especially with camp serving as the first real checkpoint for where he stands physically.
Still, there is a little unease attached to the comeback. All did deal with some knee soreness during training camp, so the Bengals will be watching closely to see how he responds as the workload ramps up and the season approaches. For a player coming off such a serious injury history, getting back on the field is only part of the story, and Cincinnati will want to know whether the knee holds up once the hits start coming for real. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Newcomer Is Already Emerging As A Defensive Voice
The Bengals captain group for 2026 reflects a defense that is leaning on both familiar faces and fresh arrivals, with DJ Turner, Dexter Lawrence and Bryan Cook joining the leadership mix. Cook stands out in particular. Signed in free agency after helping Kansas City to two Super Bowl titles, the safety has settled in quickly and already earned the respect of teammates and coaches enough to be named one of the teams defensive leaders.
For Cincinnati, that kind of early buy-in matters as much as any play on the field. In his first interview as a captain, Cook talked about his commitment to leading and being a dependable presence on defense, a notable development for a newcomer still learning the ropes in a new locker room. If the Bengals were looking for a player who could bring both experience and authority to a changing unit, Cook appears to be wasting no time making his case. [Read more 🡒]