Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Burrow

QB

Burrow will participate in Thursday's joint practice with the Bears, so he'll still be getting the equivalent of game-like reps this week despite sitting out the Bengals' second preseason contest. The 29-year-old signal-caller directed the Cincinnati offense for the first two possessions of last week's preseason-opening win over the Lions, completing five of six passes for 39 yards.

Myles Murphy

DE

questionable

Dax Hill

CB

questionable

McKinnley Jackson

DT

questionable

Josh Kattus

TE

Bryan Cook

S

questionable

Kris Jenkins Jr.

DT

Cam Grandy

TE

Jack Endries

TE

This is a roster battle for the fourth tight-end spot, so the stakes are pretty low for fantasy purposes. Endries gets points for athleticism and pass-catching ability, whereas Hudson is more of a reliable veteran that knows the system well. At any rate, either tight end would fall behind Mike Gesicki, Drew Sample and Erick All on the Bengals' depth chart.

B.J. Hill

DT

Hill opened training camp on the PUP list while recovering from an unspecified injury. He's been given the green light to return to practice and is on track to play in the Bengals' next preseason game, which takes place Saturday, Aug. 22 against the Bears. Hill has suited up for the Bengals in each of the last five years and is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he logged 66 tackles (29 solo), including 4.0 sacks, across 17 regular-season games.

Colbie Young

WR

Young ran with Joe Flacco and the second-team offense in the rookie fourth-round pick's NFL debut. Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are entrenched in the top two spots on Cincinnati's wide receiver depth chart, but Young will try to contribute in a depth role out of the gate. Young should continue to get ample opportunities in the Bengals' second preseason game against the Bears on Aug. 22.

Mike Gesicki

TE

Gesicki's lone target came on a pass from Joe Burrow on the game's second possession. Cincinnati's starters exited the contest shortly thereafter. The 30-year-old Gesicki is tentatively penciled in atop a Bengals tight end depth chart that also includes Drew Sample, Erick All, Tanner Hudson and Jack Endries, the last of whom caught a four-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter from backup quarterback Joe Flacco.

Tee Higgins

WR

Higgins and Burrow were drafted together in 2020, and they've had a long-standing connection with one another on the field. The two players have had no trouble getting back up to speed with each other after the offseason, and amongst the many plays they've made at camp, Higgins reeled in a red zone touchdown pass from Burrow at practice Tuesday. The wide receiver caught 59 of 98 targets for 846 yards and a career-high 11 touchdowns in 2025, a campaign during which Burrow, Jake Browning and Joe Flacco all started at least three contests at quarterback. Now with Burrow fully healthy ahead of the 2026 season, Higgins figures to once again be one of the most productive No. 2 WRs in the NFL.

Chase Brown

RB

Brown and the rest of Cincinnati's starters played two drives Thursday. After recording at least 1,350 scrimmage yards and 11 total touchdowns in each of the past two regular seasons, Brown is locked in atop a Bengals running back depth chart that also includes Samaje Perine and Tahj Brooks. Cincinnati will continue preseason play Aug. 22 against the Bears.

Ja'Marr Chase

WR

Chase's catch came on Joe Burrow's first pass of the game, as the star QB-WR duo didn't take long to get on the same page. Cincinnati's starting offense played two possessions, but Chase wasn't thrown to again. Chase is expected to see a heavy dose of targets again in 2026 after leading the league in that category during each of the past two regular seasons. Cincinnati's next preseason game will be Aug. 22 against the Bears.

Cashius Howell

DE

Howell, the Bengals' second-round draft pick out of Texas A&M, is expected to be part of a defensive end rotation for the Bengals, lining up behind Boye Mafe, Myles Murphy and likely Shemar Stewart, though Stewart's knee injury could open the door for Howell to get more early reps.

Erick All Jr.

TE

All underwent multiple knee surgeries for an ACL injury that sidelined him for the entire 2025 season. The 2024 fourth-rounder will be competing with Tanner Hudson and Drew Sample to serve as the No. 2 tight end behind Mike Gesicki.

Jonathan Allen

DT

Shemar Stewart

DE

Stewart was carted off Wednesday due to a left leg injury. The 2025 first-round pick didn't escape unscathed, but this outcome is a positive one given initial fears of a long-term absence. Stewart has a chance to recover before the Bengals kick off regular-season play Sept. 13 against the Buccaneers.

Josh Newton

CB

Newton is seemingly past the hamstring injury that forced him to miss the final two regular-season games of the 2025 campaign. The 25-year-old is competing with Jalen Davis, Ja'Sir Taylor and Bralyn Lux for the starting job.

Connor Lew

C

Lew is now fully recovered from a torn ACL suffered in college last season. The rookie fourth-round pick is expected to serve as the team's backup center behind Ted Karras during the upcoming campaign.

DJ Turner II

CB

Turner suffered a calf injury during the Bengals' regular-season finale against the Browns in 2025, but he was fully active in Wednesday's practice, with the 2023 second-rounder getting into the face of Chase before the two players were separated. Turner downplayed the confrontation, telling reporters after practice "brothers fight all the time. Nothing else to it." He's entering the final year of his four-year rookie deal, but it's unclear whether the talented corner and the Bengals will reach an agreement on a contract extension before the start of the 2026 regular season. Turner finished 2025 with 40 tackles (28 solo), 18 pass defenses (including two interceptions), two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery across 17 regular-season games.

Charlie Jones

WR

Jones sat out the last three games of last season because of an ankle injury, but that doesn't seem to be bothering him anymore with training camp now underway. He'll compete to hold onto his role as a primary return specialist in 2026.

Tahj Brooks

RB

Brooks was a sixth-round selection of the Bengals in the 2025 NFL Draft and spent most of his rookie campaign as a contributor on special teams while operating behind both Brown and Perine in the backfield. Brooks figures to see continued work on special teams in 2026, but he'll have the opportunity to push Perine out for the RB2 role in training camp and the preseason. Brooks turned 16 carries into 45 yards and added a nine-yard catch across 16 regular-season games in 2025 while also gaining 258 yards on 10 kickoff returns.

Evan McPherson

PK

McPherson struggled mightily in 2024, making just 16 of 22 FG attempts over 12 regular-season contests. However, he was much better last season, converting a career-high 89 percent of his field-goal tries (25-for-28), though he did miss three PATs. McPherson went 5-for-8 from 50-plus yards and 10-for-10 from 40 to 49 yards last year, giving the Bengals a reliable leg when they opted to kick from distance. Cincinnati has much higher aspirations after winning just six games last year, and McPherson figures to play a key role if the team is to rebound from a rough campaign.