Just as the Cincinnati Bengals kicked off Week 4 against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football, a surprise lineup change came from head coach Zac Taylor.
It's no secret the Bengals have struggled in the offensive trenches thus far this season. Not only was poor pass protection to blame for Joe Burrow's latest injury, but the run blokcing has been historically bad.
Taylor sought to rectify those issues by way of a rookie who's climbed up the depth chart in rapid fashion. It comes at the expense, however, of a hyped-up free agent many fans were excited about before the season began.
Rookie Jalen Rivers starts at right guard over Dalton Risner in Week 4
As somebody who was way too hopeful about the August 27 acquisition of Dalton Risner to address an underwhelming right guard position, safe to say that optimism was misplaced.
It's not really Risner's fault. He was thrust into duty in Week 1 when Lucas Patrick went down with an injury. Learning the playbook on the fly and establishing chemistry with his offensive line mates was a tall order. Cincinnati put him in a tough spot.
The silver lining to all this is the fact that rookie fifth-round pick Jalen Rivers, initially thought to be a swing tackle, showed enough positive signs at guard last Sunday in relief of a banged-up Risner to earn the starting nod in Denver.
Jalen Rivers (74) takes first team RG in warmups. Rivers set to make his first NFL start. pic.twitter.com/d8PbK4Hyd0
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) September 29, 2025
Rivers was cross-trained rather late in camp at guard once it became apparent that the Bengals' depth at the position was simply not up to snuff.
Already on Cincinnati's opening-drive field goal against the Broncos, Zac Taylor has called plays right off Rivers' rear at right guard. The results are pretty promising. Chase Brown gained 10 yards on two carries on the first possession, and scampered for a 9-yard catch-and-run on a middle screen with Rivers in the vicinity.
Despite such little NFL experience, it's clear Rivers' presence throughout the offseason program has him ahead of schedule and ready to start. Not to overreact to such a small sample size, but Brown only had three yards on 10 carries in Week 3's 48-10 loss at Minnesota. Who Dey Nation will take any positives at any point in this game.
The question is whether Rivers can hold up for 60 minutes against a ferocious Broncos defensive front. Time will tell if the Bengals' offense goes off the rails beyond their initial scripted plays.
What this means for Risner, though, is quite clear. Looks like Taylor is rolling with Rivers at right guard for the foreseeable future. The good news for Risner is, he has time to catch his breath a bit, and given his track record as an excellent pass protector, he could be counted on to go in later down the road should Rivers struggle.
Nice to see a Bengals draft pick be trusted with a big role. You know, as opposed to 2024 third-round picks/perpetual inactives Jermaine Burton and McKinnley Jackson.