Back to the August Updates landing page.
Access the August Updates for other teams here:
Arizona | Atlanta | Baltimore | Buffalo | Carolina | Chicago | Cincinnati | Cleveland | Dallas | Denver | Detroit | Green Bay | Houston | Indianapolis | Jacksonville | Kansas City | Las Vegas | LA Chargers | LA Rams | Miami | Minnesota | New England | New Orleans | NY Giants | NY Jets | Philadelphia | Pittsburgh | San Francisco | Seattle | Tampa Bay | Tennessee | Washington
Updates from Week 4
Quarterbacks
Two days of joint practices against the Rams were as close to live action as Joe Burrow and the Bengals starters will get this preseason. The two talented units exchanged blows, with the Bengals' passing offense hitting some big plays while Jalen Ramsey and the Rams defense had some wins, as well. The second practice was cut short when the teams came to actual blows. Unfortunately, the practices were closed to the public and the teams agreed that there would be no video allowed. Reporters present were explicitly told not to report on details of schemes or personnel packages. While specifics were tough to come by, Bengals beat reporters did indicate that we should expect more unpredictability from the Bengals passing game in terms of new concepts and innovative personnel usage. The Bengals were amongst the league leaders with 12 plays of 50-plus yards last year. Late in the season, defenses adjusted by employing more two-deep shells and softer coverages to force Burrow to sustain drives instead of taking big chunks. While there were hiccups at times, including some red zone struggles during the Super Bowl run, the Bengals have the personnel to succeed against these coverages, which has been the clear focus of camp. Things were expected to be clear-cut at backup quarterback with Brandon Allen having significant experience in the system, but a tremendous preseason from Jake Browning has at least made things interesting. Browning was 19 of 24 for 173 yards and a touchdown in the preseason finale against the Rams. Allen is probably still the favorite to stick as we head towards final cuts, but the door is now cracked open for Browning. Head coach Zac Taylor was noncommittal when asked if Allen was the backup. “Those guys have competed all training camp,” Taylor said. “We’ve got a lot of confidence in Brandon. He’s got years in the system. He does a really good job operating our team. I think both of those guys have done a nice job, done what we needed them to do.”
Running Backs
The Bengals have kept Joe Mixon’s workload to a minimum throughout the last month. They know what they have, and there is nothing for Mixon to prove. He remains locked in as the clear lead back. It is less clear how touches and playing time behind Mixon will play out. While Chris Evans has flashed big-play ability throughout camp and preseason action, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic believes he has not improved enough as a pass blocker to supplant Samaje Perine as the primary passing-down back. Evans will have a role. “He’s shown a knack as a returner and it’s hard to ignore what he can do as a receiver out of the backfield and in third-and-long situations,” noted Dehner. “His jump just wasn’t as significant as was hoped.” Evans and Perine may simply end up splitting the backup role situationally and depending on matchups with neither operating as the clear number two option. Any late-round sleeper hype for Evans should be tempered. Trayveon Williams is on the roster bubble, and it may come down to whether the Bengals keep him or a seventh wide receiver.
Wide Receivers
JaMarr Chase continued his impressive offseason with some big plays against the Rams, including a 75-yard touchdown catch on the final play before all the mayhem and helmet swinging broke out. While teams will scheme ways to make it harder for Chase to get behind the defense, he will still get his on deep balls when the chance is there. The extra defensive focus on taking away his deep catches combined with the Bengals making a concerted effort to move him around the formation should lead to even more catch-and-run opportunities on quick passes, where Chase has proven incredibly dangerous. Tee Higgins had a couple of uncharacteristic drops in joint practices, but it is nothing to be concerned about. Tyler Boyd has been healthy and reliable, as usual, throughout the offseason. Behind the top three, there is little to get excited about from a fantasy perspective. Stanley Morgan Jr, Mike Thomas, and Trent Taylor are the top three backups but will primarily make an impact on special teams. Undrafted rookies Kendric Pryor and Kwame Lassiter did everything right in camp and preseason action, but may both be relegated to the practice squad.
Tight Ends
Hayden Hurst is flying further under the fantasy radar than he should. If there is one fantasy sleeper to be aware of in Cincinnati, it is Hurst. He has quickly emerged as one of Burrow’s favorite check down targets. Hurst has also shown some big play ability down the seam. He should benefit from all the attention opposing safeties will have to pay to Chase and Higgins. The Bengals are in a bad way behind Hurst. Drew Sample and Mitchell Wilcox are both hurt, and Thaddeus Moss has been a disaster in preseason play with several awful holding penalties and a general inability to hold up as a blocker.
Defense
While the unit got off to a slow start in the first joint practice, the Bengals got the better of a strong Rams offense on the second day. Defensive end Trey Hendrickson carried his dominant camp over to the joint practices, repeatedly working over Joe Noteboom of the Rams. Cornerback Chidobe Awuzie has quietly emerged as one of the better cornerbacks in the league. He got the better of Cooper Kupp in several matchups and drew praise from Kupp and Rams head coach Sean McVay. The Bengals are in great shape at all three levels of the defense but do have some depth concerns at cornerback, where a core muscle surgery has sidelined Cam Taylor-Britt indefinitely, and Eli Apple has been dealing with a quad injury. The door has opened for undrafted rookie cornerback Allan George to come from nowhere to make the opening day roster.
Returners
Chris Evans has seemingly earned the kickoff return job, while Trent Taylor will field punts again.
Updates from Week 3
Quarterbacks
In a recent press conference, Joe Burrow confirmed that his appendix burst, which explains his extended absence due to an appendectomy that also required the removal of infected tissue. While sidelined, Burrow lost weight and he does not have much time to get his strength and body back to where it was pre-surgery. Burrow noted he is eating “everything” and will be spending much more time in the weight room over the next few weeks than he otherwise would have. “Gotta go back to the high school days when you’re trying to gain 20 pounds in a couple-of-week span,” Burrow said. “That’s just extra time you’ve got to put it in. Obviously, when you’re this close after surgery, there’s certain things you can and can’t do in there, and so it’s just trying to figure out the right mix of volume and weight to build myself back up.” While Burrow is behind where he wanted to be physically and looks noticeably skinnier, he has shown little ill effects on the field. His ball has had plenty of zip, and he started connecting on deep balls in his very first practice. With a strong week of practice under his belt with no setbacks, the Bengals can breathe a sigh of relief that Burrow will be ready for Week 1. Burrow and the rest of the Bengals starters will not play a single snap in the preseason.
Running Backs
Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine have been completely held out of preseason action. Mixon is fully healthy and in great shape. Perine has been making plays in camp, and his being held out of the preseason could be an indication he has the backup job locked up. The truth may be more complicated with a backup by committee approach likely should Mixon miss any time. Chris Evans has received an extended run in the preseason and flashed major explosiveness, though several of his biggest gains have been called back due to penalties. While Evans had another quiet game statistically against the Giants, he had a 73-yard kick return and has locked up that job on special teams. His burst has been impressive. Trayveon Williams had nine carries for 28 yards and a touchdown. He has locked up the fourth spot on the depth chart, but it remains to be seen whether that means he will make the 53-man roster or be relegated to the practice squad. The Bengals have only kept three backs in recent seasons.
Wide Receivers
The chemistry between Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase was instantly on display when Burrow returned to practice. The duo hooked up on some deep out routes and their timing looked impeccable. Chase looks poised to build on an epic rookie season. The Bengals took an extremely cautious approach to Tee Higgins’ recovery from offseason shoulder surgery and eased him back in slowly. He is now full go in 11-on-11 drills, returning to full team drills at the same time as Burrow. The two hooked up for multiple touchdowns over the last week with Higgins using his size and leaping ability to go up over smaller defenders for jump balls in the end zone. The battle for the last spot or two on the roster has been heated. Trent Taylor had a pair of long catches, including a diving grab for 18 yards on an early fourth down against the Giants Sunday night. After Kendric Pryor had a big game in Week 1 of the preseason, Week 2 was the Kwame Lassiter show. He had seven catches for 91 yards, which was the most for a Bengals wide receiver in the preseason in the last 13 years.
Tight Ends
The arrow continues to point up for Hayden Hurst. Zac Taylor has described him as “twitchy,” and Burrow was quick to take advantage of Hurst’s wide catch radius upon his return to practice. Everything seems to be aligning for Hurst to have a career year in 2022.
Defense
With the Bengals starting defensive lineup from last season returning virtually intact, the only real position battles have been for backup jobs. Cornerback was the one spot with the potential for a battle given that rookie Cam Taylor-Britt was expected to push Eli Apple. However, Apple has had a great camp, and Taylor-Britt was inconsistent at best and never really mounted a serious challenge. Taylor-Britt’s shaky start only got worse when he suffered a core injury that required surgery. He will be sidelined at least through the rest of the preseason and his availability for Week 1 is very much in question. Aside from Taylor-Britt, the rookie class has exceeded expectations. Safety Dax Hill has been one of the best players on the field in both preseason games. Against the Giants on Sunday night, he flashed tremendous closing speed as a tackler and made an acrobatic interception. Defensive tackle Zach Carter and defensive end Jeff Gunter have also stood out with their effort and ability to generate pressure. Backup linebacker Clay Johnston had 20 tackles against the Giants, an incredible effort that should help him lock up a spot behind starters Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt.
Offensive Line
The Bengals revamped their line this offseason, bringing in center Ted Karras, right guard Alex Cappa, and right tackle La'el Collins. There is also a battle at left guard, where fourth-round rookie Cordell Volson (North Dakota) starts over second-year players Jackson Carman and Trey Hill. An elbow injury has slowed Carman, and Volson, a massive 6-foot-7 former tackle, has the edge. When all the dust settles, this group should be solid.
Updates from Week 2
Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow finally returned to practice on Sunday, August 14 after missing approximately three weeks due to an appendectomy. He ran sprints alongside the wide receivers during warmups before the preseason opener against Arizona on Friday. On Sunday afternoon, he returned to practice in a limited capacity. Burrow made some deep throws, was able to throw on the run, and led some 7-on-7 drills but did not participate in 11-on-11s in the team period. Backup Brandon Allen was expected to play the first half against the Cardinals but took a hit to the head early in the first quarter and entered concussion protocol. He is not expected to miss much time but is questionable for this week’s game against the Giants. Jake Browning got an extended look with Allen knocked out early and was excellent, completing 13-of-24 passes for 190 yards despite awful pass protection. He is a strong candidate for the practice squad.
Running Backs
Joe Mixon is set to reprise the same role as last season and has flashed as a pass catcher throughout camp. The biggest offensive question is who gets the most opportunities behind him. Samaje Perine is the incumbent and brings a steady veteran presence. However, Chris Evans brings an element of explosiveness that Perine cannot match. With the top two backs sitting against the Cardinals, Evans took his starting opportunity and ran with it. He blasted around the edge on his first touch of the game for a 65-yard gain, though it was called back due to holding. Evans also had a touchdown run and reception wiped away due to holds, so his modest numbers (six total yards on nine touches) do not tell the true story.
Wide Receivers
JaMarr Chase has set a goal of winning the receiving triple crown this season (most receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns in the NFL). “Nobody really knows what I’m capable of but me,” Chase said. “That’s what I’m all about as a player — surprising people.” Chase has made spectacular catches daily, and the Bengals are getting more creative in moving him around the formation to create better matchups. “He could be an every-down slot receiver if you really wanted him to,” head coach Zac Taylor said. “There’s a lot of different ways depending on the defense, depending on the defensive personnel you’re facing that you can try to stress the defense, try to stress the play-caller, try to stress their personnel. And Ja’Marr’s comfortable doing all of it.” Everything remains on track for Tee Higgins' recovery from offseason shoulder surgery. “On the physical part of things, he’s ready,” said Taylor of Higgins. “I know he feels great. I know he’s ready to go, and trust me, he tells me every day. But it’s good to slowly integrate him in there, so he’s been doing the one-on-ones. He’ll do seven-on-sevens going forward. I think that he feels really good, and man, he’s really attacked that rehab the right way and looks really good.” Higgins finally made the final step to full participation by going live in 11-on-11s on August 14. With the top of the depth chart set, the main intrigue concerns the last couple of roster spots. Kwamie Lassiter has had a strong camp but was quiet against Arizona. Fellow undrafted rookie Kendric Pryor has also come on of late and showed out against the Cardinals with four catches for 89 yards and a touchdown. Lassiter, Pryor, and veteran Trent Taylor are likely competing for two spots.
Tight Ends
Hayden Hurst has hit the ground running for the Bengals and will be the starter. Depth behind him has become a major issue, however. Drew Sample injured his knee early in camp and could remain out for the remainder of the preseason. Third-stringer Mitchell Wilcox injured his ankle early against the Cardinals. Thaddeus Moss had a disastrous performance against Arizona with a pair of holding penalties wiping big plays off the board. This is a spot where Cincinnati could look outside the organization once final cuts are made.
Defense
Defensive end Trey Hendrickson has been the star of training camp on the defensive side of the ball. Despite notching 27.5 sacks over the last two seasons, Hendrickson does not get mentioned alongside the elite pass rushers in the league. That may change if he has a third straight big season, which seems a strong possibility based on what he has shown this summer. Behind Hendrickson, rookie Jeff Gunter has been turning heads and generated a solid pass rush against Arizona. The real star of the show defensively against the Cardinals was rookie safety Dax Hill, who had a pair of impressive pass breakups and nearly came down with an interception. Hill has been practicing with the starters in camp while the team waits for Jessie Bates to sign his franchise tag. Bates was in attendance as a fan at the preseason game, which could be a positive sign that he is close to doing the logical thing and showing up to play on the tag.
Returners
Special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons knows what he has in veteran punt returner Trent Taylor, so he's giving the bulk of the reps in practice to unproven players like Kwame Lassiter II and Pooka Williams Jr. He's suggested their performance in camp will determine Cincinnati's opening-day starter on special teams and while he's been impressed so far, reminded that "The true test is when live bullets are coming."
Updates from Week 1
Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow remains sidelined after a late-July procedure initially reported as an appendectomy. There is speculation from beat writers that he either had a different procedure or had some complications (possibly an infection) that pushed the timeline for his return beyond initial expectations. It was noted his first day back at the facility was nearly a week after his surgery and that he looked uncomfortable moving around and still had the PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter) line in his arm. In more recent practices, Burrow has looked to be in less pain and no longer has a PICC in his arm. However, he is still relegated to riding on a cart, not even walking to the practice field. All of which suggests he is not close to returning to practice. In a recent podcast, Burrow’s father Jimmy mentioned that Joe could be a “few weeks away.” The season is far enough away that Burrow’s Week 1 availability is not yet in question, so there is no reason to panic. He will be behind on conditioning whenever he returns and has lost a few weeks of chemistry-building opportunities with his wide receivers. In his absence, backup Brandon Allen has been up and down.
Running Backs
Joe Mixon produced several long receptions in camp and looks excellent catching the ball. However, he can make all the impressive catches he wants and still find himself on the bench in obvious passing situations because he does not have the trust of the coaching staff in pass blocking. In a recent practice where the offense gave up a bunch of sacks, the blame for at least one was placed at the feet of Mixon. Pass protection is a huge part of the job description for any third-down running back. This is especially true for the Bengals, given the dynamic weapons at wide receiver and the overwhelming need to keep Burrow healthy. There has been no indication Mixon has made a big step forward in this part of his game, so it would be best to consider him a two-down back. The most interesting skill position battle for the Bengals is which backup will emerge as the main third-down back. Samaje Perine is the incumbent and has proven the most consistent blocker. Still, second-year back Chris Evans is the more dynamic weapon, which gives him a chance to unseat Perine if he can show consistency in pass protection. So far, Evans has not made a big move in camp and is still battling Trayveon Williams for the third spot instead of making a strong push to overtake Perine.
Wide Receivers
JaMarr Chase is dominant. Nearly every practice, he makes at least one big play and could have made even more big plays with better quarterback play. There is nothing to suggest Chase might suffer a sophomore slump. His talk of chasing 2,000 receiving yards is not crazy, given how much of a leap he made since his rookie season. Tee Higgins tore his labrum in Week 2 of the 2021 season, missed a few weeks, and then played through the injury the rest of the season. He had surgery on the labrum early in the offseason but was able to return in time for the start of camp and has recently been participating in full contact drills. Tyler Boyd is locked in as the third wideout, with Mike Thomas and Stanley Morgan Jr safely established as the top backups. Both are core special teamers and solid in spot snaps behind the starters. The battle beyond the top five for the final one or two spots will be stiff. Kwame Lassiter is pushing hard to be the starting punt returner (competing with Trent Taylor) and sixth wide receiver, regularly earning positive notice for his quickness and route running. Fellow undrafted rookie Kendrick Pryor was a first-week standout, while Trenton Irwin and Pooka Williams struggled in the early going.
Tight Ends
Hayden Hurst has proven to be a great fit as the new starter. Bengals radio announcer Dave Lapham, as plugged in as anyone in Cincinnati media, thinks Hurst will be more productive than C.J. Uzomah. Lapham recently predicted Hurst would exceed Uzomah’s 2021 total of 493 receiving yards by “100-to-200.” While Uzomah had similar straight-line speed, Hurst has been lauded as a more fluid athlete who plays faster and may be able to bring more of a vertical element down the seam. Top backup Drew Sample suffered a meniscus injury and will be sidelined for a few weeks. According to Zac Taylor, the Bengals “probably dodged a pretty big bullet” that it was not more serious given their depth at the position is lacking. Mitchell Wilcox is in line to be the third tight end but is known primarily for his blocking and special teams contributions.
Defense
The starting defensive line of Trey Hendrickson, Sam Hubbard, B.J. Hill, and D.J. Reader has been dominant throughout camp. The defensive line depth has also shown up well. Joseph Ossai has provided juice off the edge. He is fully healthy after a season-ending injury in the first week of the 2021 preseason derailed an extremely promising start to his career. Two rookie defensive linemen, tackle Zach Carter and end Jeffrey Gunter, are getting noticed early and appear capable of making early contributions. With top linebacker Logan Wilson sidelined, Akeem Davis-Gaither stood out starting in his place. Expect him to be on the field often, even after Wilson returns. Rookie safety Dax Hill had a few hiccups but generally performed well starting in place of Jessie Bates at free safety. Bates is expected to show up and play on the franchise tag at some point, but it’s unclear when he is expected in camp.
