3 Bengals who must step up in preseason finale to strengthen case for 53-man roster

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor announced that the starters will not play in the preseason finale against the Indianapolis Colts. While this may turn casual fans away from watching, this does make things a lot more interesting in terms of roster battles.

With the last week of preseason just ahead, final roster cuts are going to be soon to follow as teams look to slim down from a max of 90 players to the 53-man limit. And with no starters playing in the first quarter this time around, the backups, from veteran team-hoppers to overlooked UDFAs, will be granted the spotlight for all four quarters. That'll make some of these roster battles more interesting.

Expect to see these players giving it their all as they try to survive this final round of roster cuts, the deadline for which is this upcoming Tuesday, August 26th, at 4 p.m. ET. With the final 53-man roster just on the horizon, here are four Bengals who will have to step up in this preseason finale to have a case to make the team.

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference.

Maema Njongmeta

The linebacker room will be an interesting one to watch as the Bengals make cuts. Four of the five spots are all but guaranteed. The veteran heading into his sixth year both in the NFL and with the Bengals, Logan Wilson, had his spot reserved as a starter since the 2024-25 season ended.

Of course, the two rookies Cincinnati selected in the 2025 draft, second-round pick Demetrius Knight Jr. out of South Carolina, and Clemson fourth-rounder Barrett Carter, are going to have their spots on the team. Former Eagle Oren Burks has picked up right where he left off in Philadelphia's Super Bowl-winning postseason, looking impressive in the preseason so far.

This (likely) leaves only one more linebacker spot on the team, and an interesting and tight three-man race for that spot. These roster contenders include free agency addition Joe Giles-Harris, who came into the NFL back in 2019, and two recent UDFAs in Shaka Heyward and Maema Njongmeta. The latter became a fan favorite last preseason after he led the team in tackles.

Njongmeta was mostly a depth piece and special teamer for the 2024 season, though he still made a couple of impact plays in his limited opportunities — most notably two fumble recoveries.

However, both Joe Giles-Harris and Shaka Heyward have made some plays through two preseason games. Giles-Harris snatched an interception vs. the Eagles (off the helmet of Njongmeta, funnily enough), and Heyward has been racking up tackles, with 11 total and 2 TFLs between the Eagles and Commanders games.

Those stellar performances could leave Njongmeta as one of the odd men out, so he'll need to step up big time vs. the Colts this Saturday if he wants a shot at making the final 53.

Bralyn Lux

Speaking of UDFAs, Bralyn Lux is another under-the-radar guy who has had a nice preseason. Him wearing the No. 21 isn't the only thing that has drawn fans to make comparisons between him and Mike Hilton.

Lux has primarily seen action as a slot CB and has been particularly effective against the run, just like Hilton. The former Texas Tech Red Raider has gone from completely overlooked to in competition for a roster spot.

It won't be a walk in the park, though. There are a lot of players in the cornerback room, and even those on the end of the depth chart are players that the coaching staff is already very familiar with and thus have a lot of trust in them to step up in case of injury, like Marco Wilson and Jalen Davis.

Even DJ Ivey, who has struggled immensely in training camp and preseason, has that over Lux. However, one thing Lux has over most of those he'll compete with is how well he plays the slot position.

As Stripe Hype's own Leigh Oleszczak pointed out in her article, the Bengals don't have an obvious answer at nickel this year. Dax Hill did primarily play out of the slot in college and is listed as the starter. That said, he's hardly played as a nickel in the pros, since Cincy already had Hilton filling that role.

Not to mention, Hill has dealt with more than his fair share of injuries, and if he goes down, they'll need someone to replace him as a slot corner. With another strong showing this Saturday, Lux could very well cement his spot on the team as a backup nickel.

Jalen Rivers

Out of everyone named in this article, Rivers is probably the only one who could have a mediocre or bad performance against Indianapolis and make the team. After all, the Bengals used a fifth-round pick to get him, whereas Njongmeta and Lux are/were UDFAs. The team will not have technically lost anything if they cut either of them.

Still, it is worth mentioning that Jaxson Kirkland, who played for the Bengals last year, did sign a one-year extension this past off-season, so there's a chance he could beat out Rivers for that last guard spot — albeit a small one.

Rivers' preseason has been a mixed bag. He struggled mightily against Philadelphia as the team tried him out at tackle, looking slow and sluggish. Backup quarterback Jake Browning got hit a couple of times due to Rivers perhaps playing out of position at the NFL level.

Then, for the game against Washington, the Bengals kicked Rivers inside at right guard, and he looked much more comfortable. So comfortable that fans are not only far more confident that he makes the team, but some even believe that he should be starting over Lucas Patrick.

While he'll likely make the team regardless, one more strong performance like he put up against the Commanders wouldn't hurt and would solidify Rivers' spot on the final 53. Dare one say it might put him on the road to start before the season's over.Well, if they don't get anything done with Dalton Risner, that is.

Make sure to keep an eye on these three players this Saturday vs. the Colts as they try to make their case to make the team.

More Bengals News and Analysis