The wait is almost over. On Thursday, the Cincinnati Bengals will kick off their preseason slate against the Philadelphia Eagles, the first official step on the long path toward what the team hopes will be a much improved 2025 season.
Before that, though, we need to know just who will be on the team's final roster. And while Cincy is locked in at certain spots on the depth chart, it's very much not at others. Training camp will go a long way toward deciding who's on the right (and wrong) side of the bubble, but there's simply nothing like live competition against a hostile opponent.
So: Which players will rise to the occasion? And which ones will likely get cut if they don't? Here are four players who need to take of advantage of every opportunity they get, starting on Thursday.
4. TE Tanner McLachlan
Last year's sixth-round pick seemed to fall behind Cam Grandy on the depth chart while suiting up for all of two games in 2024. He figured to need a strong camp to solidify his hold on a roster spot anyway, and that was before the Bengals went out and acquired Noah Fant. Fant, Mike Gesicki and Drew Sample are locked in, and there are still multiple obstacles between McLachlan and the fourth (and likely final) tight end job. If he can't flash in preseason, Cincy will be hard-pressed to keep him around past final cuts.
3. CB Jalen Davis
Davis served as Mike Hilton's backup for a while, but he could find himself on the outside looking in as new DC Al Golden brings big changes. Cincy's first unofficial depth chart had Dax Hill as the team's starting nickel, and if that's true, it could have major downstream effects on the rest of the cornerback room.
Josh Newton is flashing amid a strong camp, and if he jumps Davis in the pecking order, there won't be a ton of other paths for the 5-foot-10 Davis. He needs to pop in a major way over the next few weeks, but with Newton coming on strong after enduring some growing pains as a rookie, it might not matter much either way.
2. QB Desmond Ridder
This one is pretty cut and dried. With Joe Burrow and Jake Browning, the Bengals have among the most stable quarterback rooms in the league. It seems unlikely they'd feel the need to carry three on the final 53-man roster unless Ridder plays so well that he leaves them with no choice.
How likely is that? He's a hometown favorite, and you know fans would love to see him stick around. But he's been inconsistent to put it kindly so far in the NFL, and Zac Taylor's decision to play Burrow and other starters for "several" series against Philly means he won't get as much opportunity to shine as we previously thought. The bar is very, very high here, and even the slightest slip-up could be enough to seal his fate.
1. G Cordell Volson
Volson entered camp with a chance to win the left guard job outright. But the more camp goes on, the more Dylan Fairchild seems to be the team's choice there. That creates a predicament, especially considering the Bengals just restructured Volson's deal. He's still count more than $3 million against the team's cap, and they can save some $2.5 million by releasing or trading him. He simply hasn't been very good since being drafted in the fourth round back in 2022, and the tie always goes to the guy who costs the least amount of money in a position battle.