With free agency and the NFL Draft in the books while OTAs are underway, it is time to take a way-too-early look at projecting the Cincinnati Bengals‘ initial 53-man roster for the 2026 football season.
Quarterback (2)
Joe Burrow – The Bengals need a healthy 2026 season from Burrow if they want to get back to the playoffs and make another run at a Super Bowl this year. Burrow appears happy about the Bengals recent moves this offseason. Ultimately, none of that will matter much if QB #1 cannot stay on the field.
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Joe Flacco – Flacco is an ideal backup for the Bengals. His experience alone should help with weekly preparation in the quarterback room. While Flacco is 41 years old, the Bengals did not bring in any real competition for the backup quarterback job, and rightfully so. Flacco has shown he can still play at a high level when called upon.
Other quarterbacks on the current roster: Josh Johnson, Sean Clifford
Running Back (3)
Chase Brown – The biggest question will be if Brown secures an extension to his contract prior to the opening game of the season. If not, this could be his last season in Cincinnati. After rushing for over 1,000 yards in 2025, Brown has put himself in the top half of running backs in the league. He had an additional 400+ yards receiving last season. His ability as an all-around back will be critical for the team’s success once again in 2026.
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Samaje Perine – Perine is back as the reliable veteran backup for Brown in 2026. His ability to gain the tough yards, along with his pass protection ability, make him an obvious choice to be the primary backup for Brown.
Tahj Brooks – The Bengals didn’t see much out of their 2025 sixth-round draft pick last year. He rushed for just 45 yards on the season. He isn’t necessarily a lock for this third running back spot, but someone else will have to impress during preseason to supplant him as the third back on the roster.
Other running backs on the current roster: Kendall Milton, Gary Brightwell, Jamal Haynes, Kentrel Bullock
Wide Receiver (6)
Ja’Marr Chase – Chase is just a season removed from winning the triple crown for being the leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns in the NFL. The best wide receiver in football produced another 125 receptions, 1,400 yards, and 8 touchdowns in 2025.
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Tee Higgins – Higgins had over 800 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2025. He returns as the unquestioned starter opposite of Chase at receiver.
Andrei Iosivas – Iosivas returns as the most likely starting candidate in the slot. Entering a contract season of his own, it will be interesting to see if Iosivas continues seeing the same amount of snaps he has in the past, especially after the addition of Colbie Young in the draft.
Colbie Young – Speaking of Young, the 6’5”, 220-pound receiver out of Georgia was the Bengals’ second 4th round selection this year. While it was a bit higher than many expected, it is hard to find players with his combination of size and speed. Young ran a 4.49 40-yard dash time. He is likely to be on the 53-man roster, but how much playing time and his role on the team remain to be seen.
Mitch Tinsley – Tinsley is by no means a lock to make the roster; these last two wide receiver spots feel wide open at the moment. Tinsley will need another impressive preseason in order to make it, but for now, I will give him a slight advantage to keep his spot.
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Ke’Shawn Williams – I didn’t think Charlie Jones should have been the roster lock he ended up being last year, so it is always tough to predict a scenario where he ultimately doesn’t make it. However, I liked what I saw from Williams as the primary returner after picking him up off waivers from Pittsburgh late in the season. I also think he brings more quick separation as a receiver than anyone not named Ja’Marr Chase on the roster.
Other wide receivers on the current roster: Charlie Jones, Dohnte Meyers, Jordan Moore, Kendric Pryor, Xavier Johnson, Noah Thomas
Tight End (4)
Mike Gesicki – Gesicki returns as the primary receiving option at the tight end position. They will likely need more than the 300 receiving yards they got from him last year, and I do expect him to get more than that this year.
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Drew Sample – The GOAT Drew Sample is back in 2026 and entering into his contract season. While I may never recover from the fact that he was a 2nd round pick, he has carved out a great career as a blocking tight end in Cincinnati.
Erick All Jr. – This is where the position battle will get interesting. Can All stay healthy, and even if he does, can you really count on him to remain healthy through a full season? He has a talented player for sure, but at what point do the injuries just become too much for his body to handle recovering from? I will put him on this initial projection, but I fully expect him to be in a battle with Tanner Hudson and Jack Endries for a spot on the roster.
Jack Endries – The Bengals and Joe Burrow love Tanner Hudson, so it is easy to see him getting this spot over Endries or All. I am going with Endries, though. Yes, he was a seventh-round pick. He shouldn’t have been. This was a guy that should have gone a couple of rounds higher, and he fell right in the Bengals laps. If you can roster Tanner McLachlan for an entire season, you certainly should be able to do that with Jack Endries this year. He is the eventual Mike Gesicki replacement on this team.
Other tight ends on the current roster: Tanner Hudson, Cam Grandy, Josh Kattus
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Offensive Line (9)
Orlando Brown Jr. – Brown is back with a new two-year extension at left tackle for the Bengals in 2025.
Amarius Mims – Mims returns as the starting right tackle and has a legitimate shot to be a Pro Bowl player this upcoming season based on his 2025 season performance and overall growth as a player.
Ted Karras – Karras returns as the starting center in 2026. It may ultimately be the last ride for Teddy K in Cincinnati, and going out with a Super Bowl would be one hell of a way to end his career here.
Dylan Fairchild – The second-year player returns as the starting left guard. He had some ups and downs, but for being a rookie, he showed a lot in my eyes. I expect another jump in his performance this year.
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Dalton Risner – The Bengals were able to re-sign Risner to a one-year deal to keep the entire starting five intact.
Cody Ford – Maybe Ford shouldn’t be a roster lock, but history tells us otherwise. He has 4 position versatility, and is a player this coaching staff trusts to come off the bench into a game when needed.
Connor Lew – The Bengals fourth round draft selection is the likely heir apparent to Karras at center. His roster spot is a lock here.
Brian Parker II – The St. Xavier alum returns to Cincinnati as a versatile lineman. He has legitimate five-position flexibility. Ultimately, his best position is likely going to be on the inside. For the 2026 season, I think he will be backing up all five spots. He may end up being the heir apparent at right guard.
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Jalen Rivers – Rivers is another player who has some versatility. While Cincinnati mainly used him at guard in 2025, he did play that and tackle during his time at Miami. If they think he and Parker can handle guard/tackle responsibilities both, this is why they could elect to keep just 9 offensive linemen.
Other offensive linemen on the current roster: Javon Foster, Jalen Coker, Christian Jones, Corey Robinson II, Liam Brown, Jacob Bayer
Defensive Line (11)
Dexter Lawrence – The Bengals’ BIG addition this year. Lawrence will start at nose tackle and is expected to command a ton of double teams all season long on the defensive line.
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Jonathan Allen – Another addition on the defensive line was Allen. While he isn’t as explosive as he once was early in his career, Allen still looks to have plenty of juice left to be an upgrade as a pass rusher on the interior of the line.
BJ Hill – Hill has to be pleased with those two additions listed here. This should allow him to slide back into a heavier rotation, keeping him fresh and also keeping him from being the one constantly facing double teams.
TJ Slaton Jr. – It appears the current plan is for Slaton to remain with the Bengals in 2026. I like that move. You can never have enough depth, and he is the best backup for Lawrence as a true nose tackle.
Kris Jenkins Jr. – Jenkins is entering his third season in the league. This is a make-or-break type of year for him. While he could potentially be moved if the right trade offer came their way, I think Jenkins sticks with the team.
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Landon Robinson – Keeping six defensive tackles might be a bit of a stretch here, but I think Robinson is worth it. Even if he is a game-day inactive for much of the season, he has the work ethic, athleticism, and pass-rush juice to stick around this roster.
Boye Mafe – The Bengals signed Mafe to a three-year contract during free agency. They are expecting him to get back to the guy who is closer to 10 sacks in a season, instead of the one who is closer to 0. Even with just his two sacks last year, he still had a high pressure rate. I expect big things from Mafe in 2026.
Myles Murphy – While the Bengals did not pick up the option on Murphy, I am still not writing this off as the last season for him in stripes. Murphy played at a high level during the 2025 season. I think he has a legitimate shot to put up 10 sacks this season. When he does, that contract price is going to go up. An extension before the season could still make a lot of sense here. Either way, I do expect him to ball out in 2026.
Shemar Stewart – The Bengals 2025 first round draft selection is primed to have a breakout season. Injuries limited him in 2025, but it is time to unleash that freakish athleticism on the defensive line. A breakout season for him would do wonders for this defense as a whole.
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Cashius Howell – The Bengals 2026 second-round draft pick is an explosive pass rusher. Cut him loose on third downs, and you will profit.
Cedric Johnson – Johnson will be in a battle for this last spot. He will have competition from Isaiah Foskey and Antwaun Powell-Ryland. Two players that fit the Cashius Howell mold of potential outside backers if they run a base 3-4 defense more often this season. It will be interesting to see how the edge spots play out this year.
Other defensive linemen on the roster: Isaiah Foskey, Antwaun Powell-Ryland, McKinnley Jackson, Jordan Jefferson, Howard Cross III
Linebackers (5)
Demetrius Knight Jr. – One of two second-year starting linebackers that the Bengals are banking on to make a huge leap in their second season. Knight had good stats, but his performance as a whole was more up and down throughout the 2025 season. Not having him lining up near the line so much will likely help him in 2026.
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Barrett Carter – The Bengals’ 2025 fourth-round selection will need to take an even bigger leap in his performance. To be fair to Carter, there was a lot thrown on his plate during his first year in the league. He has the character and work ethic to make a big leap, and doing so would go a long way toward seeing a potential top-10 to -15 defense in 2026.
Oren Burks – Burks is a veteran linebacker who can give you rotational snaps and play special teams.
Joe Giles-Harris – One of the best special teams players on the team last year. With the departure of Tycen Anderson to Denver, I expect Harris to fill an even bigger leadership role on those units this year.
Shaka Heyward – I am going to go with the veteran Heyward here to take this spot. However, this is another one that feels wide open for someone to come in here and earn. There are a couple of undrafted free agent players to watch in this competition with Jack Dingle and Eric Gentry.
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Other linebackers on the current roster: Jack Dingle, Eric Gentry, Swayze Bozeman, Liam Anderson
Cornerback (6)
DJ Turner – To me, there isn’t a question of who is the top corner on this team, but more if that top corner will have a new contract extension before the season begins. Turner was terrific in 2025, and I expect Agent Zero Juan Drago to continue his high level of play this upcoming season.
Dax Hill – Another player who is entering a contract season. Hill hopes to remain on the outside this season, and I hope that is the case, as well. He has played his best football on the outside.
Jalen Davis – Davis was playing really good football in the second half of the season. His play was one of the reasons the defense started showing signs of life down the stretch. The Bengals could look to bring in some competition with Kenny Moore for the slot corner spot, but for now, Davis is in line to start there entering the season.
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Tacario Davis – I don’t expect Davis to earn a starting outside corner spot during his first season. What he is most likely to do is be a rotational player and try to help the Bengals improve their ability to cover tight ends.
Josh Newton – Will this be the year that Newton challenges for a starting spot? It seems like it is now or never for him to make a jump in his play. There were a lot of promising reports during the last couple of years in camp, but that has never translated to performances in real game action.
Ja’Sir Taylor – I almost went with DJ Ivey or Bralyn Lux here, but I think the veteran Taylor could win the job here. Especially, based on his special teams experience throughout his career. Another intriguing battle that could go a number of ways.
Other cornerbacks on the roster: DJ Ivey, Brayln Lux, Jalen Kimber, Ceyair Wright
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Safety (4)
Bryan Cook – Cook was the first free agent splash for this revamped Bengals defense. The former Bearcat returns to Cincinnati with a ton of big-game experience from his days with the Chiefs.
Jordan Battle – Battle should have his best season yet with the additions around him on the defense.
Kyle Dugger – Dugger should push for playing time. The former second-round pick brings physicality to the back end of the defense and should get some run in three-safety sets while also being able to play as an extra linebacker.
PJ Jules – Jules showed his special teams value in 2025. I expect him to continue doing that again in 2026. He has a chance to be a Pro Bowl player in that area, and it wouldn’t surprise me if that happened this upcoming season.
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Other safeties on the roster: Daijahn Anthony, Russ Yeast, Isaiah Nwokobia
Specialists (3)
William Wagner – Wagner returns as the starting long snapper after winning the job from Cal Adomitis in 2025.
Ryan Rehkow – Rehkow has a cannon for a leg, but can he improve his touch inside the 20-yard line this year? If he does, he can be one of the best punters in the league.
Evan McPherson – McPherson started well in 2025, but had some shaky performances later in the year. Hopefully, we get Money Mac all the way back this year.
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