It's time to trim the fat off the 2026 Cincinnati Bengals roster. Will the front office and coaching staff make the right decisions, or will they be stubbornly loyal to certain incumbent players who haven't earned their spots on merit?
Superstar quarterback Joe Burrow would have no issue making these cold, calculated calls. He's eager to win a Super Bowl this year. In other words, Duke Tobin, Zac Taylor and Co. had better not keep anyone who's a liability.
Should be interesting to see what the initial 53-man roster looks like. I've got some bold takes on who'll make the cut here. Some of them reflect genuine belief. Some of them are a Burrow-esque attempt at manifestation.
Bengals bid adieu to underachievers in the trenches in last 53-man roster projection
Quarterbacks (3)
- Joe Burrow
- Joe Flacco
- Josh Johnson
An obvious two-deep depth chart here. Joe Burrow and Joe Flacco give the Bengals perhaps the best 1-2 quarterback punch in the sport.
Whether Josh Johnson sticks around or not boils down to a numbers game. If it were me, I'd make room for him. Two QBs north of 40 would make NFL history and only broaden Burrow's football horizons as he enters the hopefully-healthy prime of his career.
Running Backs (3)
- Chase Brown
- Samaje Perine
- Tahj Brooks
No changes or surprises here. Chase Brown is gearing up for a contract year and is easily the best running back on the roster. Samaje Perine is in his second stint with the Bengals and has the trust of Burrow and the coaching staff.
Will Tahj Brooks carve out a meaningful role? I'm not so sure. He has a lot to prove in the preseason finale and beyond.
Wide Receivers (5)
- Ja'Marr Chase
- Tee Higgins
- Andrei Iosivas
- Colbie Young
- Dohnte Meyers
Dohnte Meyers has done enough to earn a roster spot. Move over, Charlie Jones. Goodbye, Mitchell Tinsley. Rookie fourth-round pick Colbie Young has exceeded expectations.
I wouldn't be surprised if both Young and Meyers wound up eclipsing Andrei Iosivas on the depth chart at some point. Sounds bold to say. However, it may not mean much, since tight end Mike Gesicki is a glorified slot receiver, and the passing attack predominantly revolves around Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Tight Ends (5)
- Mike Gesicki
- Erick All Jr.
- Tanner Hudson
- Jack Endries
- Drew Sample
My nickname for Gesicki is "Tino", as in TINO (Tight end In Name Only). Notice how I've ranked the Bengals' tight ends, too. That's right. Drew Sample should be the literal fifth-string guy at best.
If Cincinnati's front office had any guts, they'd just cut Sample. Alas, they have some weird attachment disorder/moral obligation to him. Or Sample is blackmailing the key leadership. Just kidding. Anyway, more snaps for Erick All Jr., Jack Endries, and Tanner Hudson please!
Offensive Line (8)
- Orlando Brown Jr.
- Dylan Fairchild
- Ted Karras
- Dalton Risner
- Amarius Mims
- Brian Parker II
- Connor Lew
- Javon Foster
This is where we'll see some kind of change transpire. The swing tackle position is a mess. Neither 2025 draft pick Jalen Rivers nor Cody Ford deserve a roster spot. I'm rolling with Javon Foster, because at least he was a fourth-round pick in Jacksonville back as recently as 2024.
If the Bengals don't get a better insurance policy in the event that Orlando Brown Jr. or Amarius Mims go down, it's organizational malpractice. Full stop. Cam Robinson, anyone?
Defensive Line (11)
- Boye Mafe
- Dexter Lawrence
- Jonathan Allen
- Myles Murphy
- Cashius Howell
- B.J. Hill
- T.J. Slaton
- Shemar Stewart
- Cedric Johnson
- Landon Robinson
- Howard Cross III
Since Landon Robinson has the versatility to line up as nose tackle and fullback, he's a roster lock to me. Although Robinson should primarily play 3-technique or thereabouts (let's not get too in the weeds on defensive front alignment, folks), his ability to function at nose opens up another spot for a quick interior pass rusher.
Howard Cross III gets the nod here over 2024 Day 2 draft picks Kris Jenkins Jr and McKinnley Jackson. Cross batted down a Caleb Williams pass on the Bears' opening series in the last preseason game, and just brings more juice as an interior pass rusher than those other two, who don't play the run well enough to justify hanging onto.
Linebackers (5)
- Demetrius Knight Jr.
- Barrett Carter
- Swayze Bozeman
- Shaka Heyward
- Oren Burks
If you've read Stripe Hype for any meaningful span of time, you know I'm often early and bang-on about many players. That said, Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter seem to be proving me wrong as second-year linebackers who can somehow ascend from historically bad rookie seasons to functional starters.
Guess we'll see what happens when the real games start. Anyway, yours truly was on Swayze Bozeman if only for a lack of other viable players. Bozeman should make the 53-man roster without question after a stellar camp and preseason. Put him on ice for the Eagles game!
Cornerbacks (6)
- DJ Turner
- Dax Hill
- Jalen Davis
- Tacario Davis
- D.J. Ivey
- Ja'Sir Taylor
This hasn't budged from my initial 53-man roster prediction. Never would've thought D.J. Ivey could beat out Josh Newton heading into training camp, but here we are. Rookie third-round pick Tacario Davis was never going to be a realistic cut candidate.
Free-agent signing Ja'Sir Taylor has terrible numbers in coverage to date in his NFL career. I'd personally rather roster Bralyn Lux, but Taylor's experience probably wins out.
The top three cornerbacks will all start: DJ Turner, and Dax Hill on the boundary, and Jalen Davis in the slot.
Safeties (4)
- Bryan Cook
- Jordan Battle
- Kyle Dugger
- PJ Jules
Another group that didn't change from my initial 53 projections. Bryan Cook should be in the box or slot more than any other point in his career, and Jordan Battle excels in coverage as a free safety. Kyle Dugger is an excellent hybrid safety who can play the nickel and either safety spot. PJ Jules is a special teams ace, so he beats out Russ Yeast.
Specialists (3)
- K Evan McPherson
- P Ryan Rehkow
- LS William Wagner
Evan McPherson is having a phenomenal training camp and preseason. He's credited the smooth operation between long snapper William Wagner and holder/punter Ryan Rehkow with helping him just focus on kicking the ball. That bodes well for McPherson to return to his rock-solid rookie-year form.
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