The Cincinnati Bengals face the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday night in their final preseason game of 2026. However, that is not what some people are focused on.
After this weekend’s games, every team has until 6 p.m. on Sunday, August 30th, to cut its roster to 53 players. Many already have their eyes on players their franchise could pluck off the waiver wire because their organization did not plan well enough for issues that needed addressing.
For the Bengals, that apparently applies to backup offensive tackles, but bewilderingly not to linebackers. Nevertheless, whatever Cincinnati needs, at least they know they are near the head of the line when scouring the waiver wire.
Bengals are 10th when waiver wire claims begin
Thanks to their less-than-stellar 2025 campaign, the Bengals are tenth on the waiver wire. That is where they fell in the draft order, so that is where they'll be whenever those claims start coming in.
Even though Cincinnati used its first-round pick to trade for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, they still own the tenth pick when deciding which team gets awarded a player if multiple teams put in a claim.
The good news is that the Bengals’ roster is pretty much set heading into the first regular-season game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Unfortunately, a few details still need hammering out at the back end of the roster.
The front office's main concern is likely backup tackle, a position that remains unsettled. Hopefully that will play out on the field on Friday night. If not, the waiver wire could be the way to go.
Bengals won’t be the only team hunting for offensive line help
As every team looks to ameliorate their options, particularly along the offensive line, players on the waiver wire will be a hot commodity on Sunday. We would advise teams not to stash offensive linemen on their practice squads this time around.
Unfortunately, unlike the draft, the Bengals can’t trade up on the waiver wire. And that may be the only way they’re able to snag a guy they want on Sunday.
Washington and Kansas City are seventh and ninth, respectively, in line to put in claims. Both have recently made moves and are likely to keep looking for offensive line help while the Bengals are in wait-and-see-and-hope mode.
Since then, however, more injuries have hit offensive lines across the league.
Rival Baltimore Ravens just lost their potential starter at center, Danny Pinter, for the year with a torn patellar tendon.
The Houston Texans had their potential starter at right tackle, Braden Smith, taken off on a cart after suffering a foot injury.
So, you can add the Ravens and Texans to the list of teams suddenly looking for OL reinforcements. Luckily for the Bengals, both teams are behind Cincinnati on the waiver wire, at 14th and 28th, respectively.
But we haven't even gotten to this weekend’s slate of preseason games, where we could see additional injuries and increased desperation from teams to find options along their offensive lines.
Hopefully, it won’t come down to the waiver wire for the Bengals to find a backup tackle they are comfortable with. There is still time for Javon Foster or Jalen Rivers to win the job outright. They could also give Corey Robinson II a real opportunity.
But if all else fails, Cincinnati could swing a trade.
Either way, the Bengals are in a good position on the waiver wire to make a claim for a player who could be unexpectedly cut. They have to cross their claws that Kansas City, Houston, or any of the eight other teams ahead of them don’t claim the same player.
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