The Cincinnati Bengals will be hosting the Detroit Lions tonight in the first return to actual live reps of the season for both teams.
Head coach Zac Taylor has already started we should see starters playing (obviously no one with any sort of injuries). That does mean we get a look at Joe Burrow and company try and put some offense together. We also should see the new names on the defensive side of the ball for the first time. The big thing will be watching those linebackers in the middle, Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter. Both have heard tons of criticism this entire Offseason. This is an early chance to show Cincinnati was right not to bring in any competition for them.
Bengals News
What to Watch For | Lions vs Bengals Preseason Week 1
While Zac Taylor confirmed that offseason free agent acquisition Bryan Cook will be among the players who will not see action in Thursday’s preseason opener, fans will get a look at several other Bengals who joined the team over the past five months. Notably, defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II, who Cincinnati acquired in a trade less than a week before the NFL Draft, has garnered high praise from his new teammates and coaches throughout the early stages of training camp.
The big thing to watch for tonight are what younger players or players on the roster bubble actually pop. We may see the starters for a series or two, but the vast majority of reps should go to backups looking to show what they can do taking live reps.
The wide receiver and defensive tackle rooms look particularly deep. It will be interesting to see who stays and who goes when it is all said and done.
Ja’Marr Chase names two Bengals breakout candidates
The rookie Young, a fourth-round pick this year, keeps making huge plays in camp, so it’s deserved praise. He’s looking like a threat to steal some snaps, perhaps even over Andrei Iosivas.
Colbie Young has been the worst kept secret to anyone even barely paying attention to Cincinnati’s training camp. He has looked the part of a dynamic third wide receiver that this offense has desperately needed. Andrei Iosivas has unfortunately had some struggles with drops recently, and if that doesn’t get corrected then he has credible competition right behind him.
Bengals’ estimated NFL franchise value rank doesn’t tell whole story
Maybe the Bengals don’t climb out of 32nd place for the seventh year running, but getting a $453ish million check for television revenue and otherwise in a league whose teams total nearly $300 billion won’t cause the Bengals any concerns.
We need to be honest. The Bengals’ ownership could not care less about this whole “franchise value” thing that comes out every year. We have seen them take baby steps towards modernizing, but that seems more because they are being dragged kicking and screaming into doing so. It also seems like this year they wanted to actually turn the team back into a contender. None of these things have or will be done so they can be viewed as a valuable franchise.
Trevor Sikkema: ‘I think Ja’Marr Chase is the best WR’ in fantasy | ‘NFL Fantasy Football Show’
This is may seem obvious to Bengals fans, but we also have inherent bias because we believe Chase is the best wide receiver in the NFL. To be the top wide receiver in fantasy is something different entirely, though. If Burrow stays healthy Chase gets the volume and valuable goal line targets to easily reach that mark.
NFL News
NFL Power Rankings: Rams enter preseason on top; Seahawks at No. 3, Patriots outside top 10
The Bengals finally invested in their defense and proved to the rest of the NFL that they’re serious about contending again. That’s a good start, and so far, early returns are very promising — so much so that Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ increasingly complex offense has been frustrated at times during camp. This is being sold as a real “iron sharpens iron” situation, which is either the product of typical camp optimism or a sign of good things to come. If Burrow can (finally) stay healthy, I expect this to be the best Bengals team we’ve seen since Cincy reached Super Bowl LVI.
Pretty shocking to see the Bengals at number eight overall on a national list. Then again it seems there is an expectation for several teams to make a bounce back as the Baltimore Ravens came in at sixth. It is for all the reasons we fans have been saying. The offense is returning, which has been great. The defense has been completely overhauled with several key veterans (linebackers still needing to show their worth).
Deshaun Watson to start Browns’ first preseason game vs. Bears; Shedeur Sanders slated for next week
New head coach Todd Monken has conducted a battle for the starting job throughout the offseason and hasn’t provided many hints on who is leading at this stage, leaving the race to be interpreted by those covering the team. Early in camp, Sanders appeared to be ahead of Watson, but Watson’s improvement over the weekend seemed to narrow the competition.
Sometimes it is important to appreciate this team hasn’t been in the pits of despair at quarterback in quite some time. Ever since Carson Palmer was drafted in 2001, Cincinnati has had one of the most steady quarterback rooms in the NFL. Palmer looked like an MVP level player before his injury in the playoffs. After he forced his way out the team went directly into the Andy Dalton era, which went to the playoffs for five straight years. Now we are in the middle of the Burrow era that saw the Bengals return to the Super Bowl.
2026 NFL fantasy football: Six late-round sleepers to target
I’ve narrowed this list down to six players, but I have discussed other candidates elsewhere, including some breakouts and value picks such as running backs Jordan Mason and Jonathon Brooks, wide receiver Josh Downs and tight ends Isaiah Likely and Chigoziem Okonkwo. Now it’s time to read on and take your shots. May you strike gold!
It is never too late to see some players you might want to take a flyer on at the end of your fantasy draft.
Tell us who your sleepers that you are excited to take this year in fantasy are down in the comments!