Amidst what is feeling more like a lost year for the Cincinnati Bengals with each passing week, it's hard to find anything positive for fans to take forward besides the hope that their cries for changes in the organization will be heard.
And that some freak athlete for a Power 5 school, likely currently working on an essay, will have their name called by Cincy come April. However, we've got a long way before the night when dreams are made true, so cool off on the mock drafts a little bit.
One thing fans can be happy about — something that isn't months in advance — is players stepping up and accomplishing career firsts that they'll remember for the rest of their lives.
Cincinnati has had several of these already, only six weeks into the 2025 season, young Bengals stepping up and doing something that they haven't done yet on the football field at a professional level. So, let's highlight some of these notable occasions ahead of a nasty divisional matchup vs. Pittsburgh, which could lead to a fifth straight loss to drop the Bengals to 2-5.
All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference.
Week 1 @ Cleveland - DJ Turner
While Al Golden's unit has mostly been underwhelming, especially in the second half of games, one player who has not just taken a step but a leap is JuanDrago "DJ" Turner. The secondary is full of question marks, but after just a month and a half it feels like the Michigan product has already secured his spot on the team for the forseeable future.
Turner has been given a very solid 71.1 grade by PFF and an allowed passer rating of 64.1, and he's setting the pace for passes defended with 11 on the year so far. What's looking to be a breakout season for the 3rd-year cornerback got off to a great start in Week 1 against their in-state rivals, the Cleveland Browns. It was a game where the defense really had to step up as the offense sputtered, and DJ Turner capped it off with his first career interception at the best possible time.
Up 17-16 with less than 2 minutes in the game, the Browns were nearing midfield and just needed a field goal to take the lead. The defense needed one more stop and Cincy would have its first Week 1 win since 2021.
That's when Turner stepped up, picking off current Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco to ice the game. Certainly a memorable career first for the former Wolverine. The following week in their home opener against Jacksonville, another career first would occur, this time on the other side of the ball.
Week 2 vs. Jacksonville - Mitchell Tinsley
Coming into the league in 2023 as a UDFA for the Commanders, Tinsley had trouble staying on the active roster and didn't see the field at all in the NFL over the next couple of years. Then, during the 2025 offseason, Cincinnati signed him to its preseason roster. A move that largely went under the radar by Bengals fans, since, out of everything, wide receiver was the least of their concerns. Well, in the second week of preseason, Tinsley put himself on everyone's radar after a stellar 5-reception, 73-yard, 2-touchdown performance against his old team.
That was enough to get him onto the team, especially with an endorsement from Burrow, and he'd get another chance to shine again against the Jaguars. Bengals fans' spirits had been severely dampened after franchise QB Joe Burrow went back to the locker room with what would later be declared a surgery-requiring turf toe injury, and they were down 17-10. That's when Mitchell came in, catching a 13-yard touchdown pass from Jake Browning to tie the game up.
It wasn't just his first touchdown; it was his first catch. At least in a non-preseason game. How many players can say their first catch in the NFL went for six?
Since then, Tinsley has seen the field sparingly, mostly being used as a blocker on running plays. Fans have been clamoring for him to start over another wide receiver from his class and 3rd-year Bengal Andrei Iosivas after he had a couple of drops against the Packers, though whether or not he'll get more snaps in the following weeks is still up in the air.
Week 4 @ Denver - Demetrius Knight Jr.
After getting embarrassed in Minnesota to the tune of the worst loss in franchise history a week prior, the Bengals would march into Denver on Monday Night Football...and promptly get embarrassed again.
The final score of 28-3 didn't tell the whole story; it was borderline unwatchable for Cincy fans after the first quarter, as the offense didn't take a snap in Denver territory after their opening field goal drive.
It's a night that the Bengals' faithful will want to forget, but there's one moment that rookie Demetrius Knight Jr. will likely keep stored in his mind, and that was his red zone interception on Bo Nix. Already down 14-3, this one was already on the verge of being a blowout late in the second quarter.
Granted, it did become one anyway, but the former Gamecock did his best to delay the inevitable, and in doing so notched his first of what will hopefully be many interceptions for the Bengals.
It's been a mixed bag of a rookie year for Knight. Some days, he's flying all over the field and making crucial tackles. Other days, he's lost and whiffing on bringing down the ball carrier. Hopefully, the rookie figures it out and becomes a more consistent starter in the coming weeks.
Week 6 @ Green Bay - Geno Stone
For the final career first of the article, we have Geno Stone, the former Raven who signed with the Bengals during the 2024 offseason. Stone's first season in stripes was mostly really bad, as he racked up missed tackles and was a liability in coverage.
Towards the end of the season, though, he seemed to turn a corner, snatching three interceptions and recording four passes defended during the final five games of the 2024 season. While it was nice for fans to see him finally play like they were hoping he would when he was signed, many were skeptical whether his success was a product of better play or the lackluster opponents they went up against during that stretch.
Fortunately, it seems to mostly be the former. While he still isn't the Baltimore version that had fans excited, Stone has definitely bounced back from his rough 2024 season. He's been mostly playable and a borderline good safety at times. And, against Green Bay, he notched his first interception of the season. That's not what we're highlighting here, though, as he already racked up 12 interceptions in his career before that point.
No, the career first for Stone came late in the game, when he recorded the very first sack six years into his career. It's no surprise that it's taken this long, considering he plays safety, and it came at a major point in the game, late in the 4th down six points. Of course, it didn't end up mattering, as the Bengals would go on to lose 27-18 anyway, but it was still a great play that gave them hope for at least one more down.
Six weeks into the season, and these Bengals have already had memorable moments for their careers. With still eleven games left to play, there are likely more career firsts on the horizon for the Bengals' younger players (like Shemar getting his first sack...hopefully). And who knows? They might even get a couple of wins along the way.