2 surprising starters named for Bengals season opener against Patriots

With the 2024 regular season opener against the New England Patriots rapidly approaching, the Cincinnati Bengals named a pair of somewhat surprising starters for the game - one on offense and one on defense.

Bengals name 2 surprise starters for Week 1

The first somewhat surprising starter is offensive tackle Trent Brown, who signed a one-year deal with the Bengals in free agency over the offseason. Brown will get the starting nod in the game over rookie first-rounder Amarius Mims, who is still dealing with a pectoral injury that he suffered during the preseason. Bengals coach Zac Taylor said that he wasn't sure if Mims would be available to play at all during the first game of the season.

Ultimately when Mims returns to action, he'll likely have an opportunity to secure a starting spot over Brown, but for now the veteran will handle the role. This shouldn't be an issue for Brown, who is an experienced veteran with a Super Bowl ring and a Pro Bowl selection to his name.

The other surprising starter selection is safety-turned-cornerback Dax Hill, who solely played safety during the first two seasons of his career. Hill started in all 17 games for Cincinnati at safety last season, but after the offseason additions of Geno Stone and Vonn Bell coupled with the development of second-year safety Jordan Battle, the team decided to shift him to corner.

Switching positions mid-career is never easy, but Hill has done an excellent job with the transition. So excellent that the team decided to name him as the other starting cornerback alongside Cam Taylor-Britt for the regular season opener. Hill beat out second-year corner D.J Turner II in the process, though Zac Taylor still expects Turner to be a major contributor.

"It was a great battle. It wasn't a guy failed so the other one is the starter," Taylor said of the battle between Hill and Turner. "It was two guys I really felt like getting the best out of each other. For Dax to be able to assume that responsibility I think is good. It doesn't mean DJ is not playing, (or) that there is not roles we have for these other guys. It's a long season so guys have to be ready for their opportunity to come."

Hill definitely deserves kudos for embracing a tough position switch and thriving, but it's important to remember that just because a player begins the season as a starter doesn't mean that role is permanent. Positions on the depth chart are earned weekly, and Brown and Hill will need to consistently produce if they hope to remain in a starting role.