CINCINNATI — The Bengals’ practice fields, in downtown and across the street from their stadium, was a cauldron of heat and humidity on Sunday morning. Which made my overriding takeaway from the workout even more impressive. Let’s dive in …
• By my count, two Joe Burrow throws hit the ground in the Bengals’ final practice before the pads go on Monday. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins looked all-world. And I don’t think any of it is a mistake. This is the first real, conventional offseason Cincinnati’s offensive core has had together, free of injuries, rehab or contract disputes interfering with who is actually out on the field. On top of the Bengals’ big three being out there, this is the first time they’ve had a pass-catching tight end (Mike Gesicki) around for consecutive seasons since Burrow came into the league. The tackle tandem of Orlando Brown Jr. and Amarius Mims returns too. Andrei Iosivas has earned Burrow’s trust and is now a reliable third receiver. Even talented, star-crossed second-year wideout Jermaine Burton showing signs of growing up that makes the staff think he may be turning a corner personally. Now, all that doesn’t mean there won’t be questions. But if everyone stays healthy, and coming off an MVP-level season from Burrow, the offense should be off-the-charts good.
• Another thing that should help is the emergence of Chase Brown at tailback. Brown focused much of his offseason work on improving in every way in the passing game. The expectation is he’ll be really good in protection, with the work he’s done added to his finish to last year—and the return of veteran Samaje Perine, who’s excellent in that area, will help him continue to improve, too. And he’s gotten better running routes and catching the ball out of the backfield. Now, Brown’s around 208 pounds, so the Bengals might have to be judicious on his workload, which ticked up over the second half of last year. But there’s no question who the lead dog is now, with Perine, Zack Moss and promising rookie Tahj Brooks in reserve.
• The biggest position battle on offense is, without question, at guard. For now, it looks like rookie Dylan Fairchild is in the process of locking down the left guard spot (pending what he looks like when the pads go on). At right guard, things are more jumbled. Cody Ford is, for now, taking most of the reps, but that’s in part because veteran Lucas Patrick had to fill in at center, then got hurt (he should be back in a week or so). Once Patrick returns, he should push Ford, with Cordell Volson having an outside shot to do the same.
• Defensively, there are a ton of question. The edge-rusher one won’t be answered until there’s a resolution on Trey Hendrickson’s contract situation (it looked like the sides were closing in on something last weekend, then things crumbled on Monday), and the team gets a better handle on what Shemar Stewart can do as a rookie (today was his first actual practice as a pro). That said, there’s reason for optimism elsewhere in the front seven. Logan Wilson, one of five defensive players left from new DC Al Golden’s previous stint in Cincinnati, has had a fantastic offseason, and should be an important piece as Golden works to replace Lou Anarumo, his predecessor who was wildly popular in the organization. And rookies Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter have assimilated quickly—some believe Knight has the potential to be one of the best ’backers the franchise has had in a long time.
• As for how the defense is coming together in general, the one thing that’s stuck out to people is how fast Golden has the group playing. It’s early, of course, but much of his work thus far has been to start at a base level, with fundamentals, and there’s been a big emphasis on tackling technique and takeaways (Golden’s Notre Dame defenses were great at turning the ball over). One thing that should help is the strength the team believes it will have at corner. Cam Taylor-Britt’s playing for a contract and has shown his high end—he just needs more consistency. Dax Hill’s working his way back from a torn ACL and DJ Turner II is back from a broken collarbone, and the team has high hopes for both. And rookie Josh Newton has flashed, and already emerged as a vocal piece for the secondary. Add in third-year man Jordan Battle showing he can lead and direct traffic from his safety spot, and the back end of the defense should be relatively sturdy as the front works through its questions early on.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bengals Training Camp 2025: Without Holdouts or Injuries, Cincy Offense Shines.