The Bengals’ cornerback picture is starting to come into focus, and Josh Newton doesn’t appear to be part of it right now.
Cincinnati already seems set on its outside starters for 2026. DJ Turner II, coming off his breakout season in 2025, is expected to handle the opponent’s top receiver. On the other side, Dax Hill has settled into the boundary role after bouncing around the defensive backfield.
That leaves the slot battle as one of the more interesting camp competitions, but Newton hasn’t been able to grab hold of it. Newly signed veteran Ja’Sir Taylor is in the mix, while Jaylen Davis has been getting most of the first-team reps inside. At this point, it looks like the slot race is leaning toward a two-player fight between Taylor and Davis.
Newton’s situation on the perimeter hasn’t improved much either. The second-team reps there have gone to D.J. Ivey and rookie Tacario Davis, which leaves the 2024 fifth-round pick on the outside looking in.
According to The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr., Newton has slipped out of favor with the coaching staff. Dehner wrote, “Josh Newton remains in the same doghouse that kept his snaps limited down the stretch last season,”
That’s a notable turn for a player who logged 525 snaps as a rookie in 2024 before that total dropped to 275 last season. With more young and veteran competition in the cornerback room, Newton’s path to a roster spot looks shakier than it did before camp opened.
Still, it’s early. The Bengals haven’t even played a preseason game yet, and there’s plenty of time for things to change.
Newton could still work his way back into the picture if others stumble. But for now, the possibility remains that he could be looking for a new team when the roster gets cut to 53 at the end of the month.
In Other News...
National Bengals Takedown Hits Burrow Zac Taylor And Everything Else
The Bengals are back in the national crosshairs, this time through Drew Magarys annual Why Your Team Sucks assessment for Defector, which takes a blunt look at just about everything around the franchise. The piece doesnt spare Zac Taylor, questions the aura around Joe Burrow, and folds in the teams recent defensive moves, including the addition of Dexter Lawrence, as part of a broader picture of a team still trying to convince people it has truly fixed its problems.
For Cincinnati, the sharper point is less the criticism itself than how familiar it all sounds to long-suffering fans. The Bengals have spent enough time living with outside skepticism that another hard-edged national takedown barely qualifies as new, but it does underline the unease surrounding the organization as the season approaches. Until the team proves otherwise on the field, the doubts about the coaching, the quarterback and the overall direction are likely to keep hanging around. [Read more 🡒]
Dexter Lawrence Is Already Forcing A Bengals Problem Up Front
Training camp has given the Bengals a close-up look at what they were buying when they traded the 10th overall pick to the Giants for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Head coach Zac Taylor has already been quick to praise Lawrences impact, pointing to the way he has changed the feel up front and brought a level of relentlessness that has shown up in practice reps.
One play in particular stood out to Taylor, a snap in which Lawrence made a notable defensive move and forced the offense to deal with his reach and power. For a line still sorting itself out in camp, those kinds of moments are a reminder that Lawrence can create problems on his own, and Cincinnati is already seeing how much he can tilt things in the trenches. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Rookie Edge Rusher Is Forcing His Way Into This Camp Battle
Myles Murphy has been around long enough to know how quickly a rookie can go from camp curiosity to part of the conversation, and Cashius Howell is starting to do exactly that in Cincinnati. During his first training camp, Howell has already drawn attention for the way he carries his physicality and rushes the passer, enough to get work with the first team and put himself on the radar of coaches and teammates alike.
Zac Taylor has praised the early impact, and defensive end Boye Mafe has also taken notice of Howells potential, which is exactly the kind of buzz a young edge rusher wants this time of year. The real test, of course, is whether he can keep forcing the issue once the pads stay on and the competition tightens, but the Bengals have seen enough in the opening week to keep watching closely. [Read more 🡒]