The Cincinnati Bengals have several players who they'll be monitoring closely when training camp opens next month. We'll touch on one surprise player on the roster bubble, but that'll be all for that particular type of case.
Beyond the heated position battles and figuring out the bottom of the 53-man roster, there are a couple other veterans who have a big 2026 season ahead with much to prove.
Between one of the offense's main stars and the only marquee free-agent signing of yesteryear, Cincinnati's next camp will have plenty of intrigue. Fans should keep an eye on the following trio.
The pressure's off for T.J. Slaton with Dexter Lawrence's arrival
It was (somewhat) defensible last offseason for the Bengals not to make any major splashes on the open market. Nose tackle T.J. Slaton was the only major acquisition, as the front office focused on contract extensions for stud wideouts Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. The drama surrounding Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart didn't help matters, either.
But we're past the point of excuses. Cincinnati's brain trust recognized that and responded in a big way. An underrated element of the Dexter Lawrence trade was the Bengals' indirect admission that Slaton wasn't making the desired impact on the defensive trenches.
Slaton was supposed to be a run-stopping force in 2025. Instead, he made a negligible impression for the NFL's worst run defense and was speculated to be a salary cap casualty thereafter.
If ever there was a relative free-agent flop to be jazzed about, it was Slaton. His inefficacy helped trigger the move for Lawrence. Now, it's time for Slaton to produce in a more situational role. Playing second fiddle to Sexy Dexy at the nose tackle spot means Slaton had better show marked progress when he does get on the field.
Chase Brown has the chance to ascend to elite running back status
All the credit in the world to Bengals tailback Chase Brown for grinding through horrendous run blocking in the early portion of the 2025 campaign. The offensive line eventually hit its collective stride, and Brown posted his first 1,000-yard rushing season.
Among extension-eligible players, Cincinnati is expected to prioritize All-Pro worthy cornerback DJ Turner above everyone else. Brown will likely have to prove himself this year to earn that next payday.
Now that the o-line is at its best in the Joe Burrow era, and operating under the assumption that the face of the franchise stays healthy, Brown has a shot to take another leap forward.
Brown has largely outperformed expectations as a fifth-round pick. However, entering his fourth NFL season, he can take a lot of pressure off Burrow, help the Bengals establish their best rushing attack of Burrow's tenure, and free up the passing game to produce more explosive plays like they did in those deep playoff runs.
Second-year OL Jalen Rivers will be absolutely grinding for a roster spot
Even if you take PFF's grades with a grain of salt, Jalen Rivers was objectively one of the worst guards in the league as a rookie. The fifth-round pick out of Miami (Florida) played tackle for the most part in college, but he moved to guard at the pro level in short order.
Liam Brown is an undrafted free agent out of Montana, and it's not too bold to suggest he could challenge Rivers for the final interior offensive lineman roster spot.
If the Bengals were confident in Rivers, they probably wouldn't have drafted Duke utility lineman Brian Parker II this year. Parker has a shot to be the right guard of the future in the event that Dalton Risner isn't in Cincinnati's longer-term plans.
Unless Rivers really steps up in training camp, he's a (slight) surprise cut candidate. Pretty sure I speak for all of Who Dey Nation when I say that it'd be nice to see more out of Rivers, lest Cincinnati burn yet another draft pick on an ineffective offensive lineman.
Other than 2024 first-round pick Amarius Mims, the Bengals have whiffed on a lot of offensive trench players, which is a big reason why Burrow has taken so much abuse in the pocket throughout his career. It'd be ideal for both Rivers and Parker to emerge as solid depth pieces on the interior o-line to say the least.
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