The Cincinnati Bengals have wrapped the 2025 preseason, and now the front office has the task of trimming their roster down to the final 53 players before the team opens the regular season in Cleveland on September 7. Some positions are set in stone. A few aren’t. Here’s our fifth, and final prediction of who’s in and who’s out.
Here are the previous four versions.
Quarterback (2)
- Joe Burrow
- Jake Browning
Cut: Desmond Ridder, Payton Thorne
Notes: No changes here. Burrow and Browning are locks.
Running Back (3)
- Chase Brown
- Tahj Brooks
- Samaje Perine
Cut: Gary Brightwell, Quali Conley, Kendall Milton
Notes: No changes here. I don’t there’s there’s much of a point in keeping a fourth running back, especially when the offense flows through Burrow and the passing game, and that extra roster spot could be used on the defense.
Wide Receiver (6)
- Ja’Marr Chase
- Tee Higgins
- Andrei Iosivas
- Charley Jones
- Jermaine Burton
- Mitchell Tinsley
Cut: Cole Burgess, Jamoi Mayes, Jordan Moore, Rashod Owens, Isaiah Williams
Notes: No changes here. After the show Tinsley put on against the Commanders, Zac Taylor and the coaching staff must have decided they saw everything they needed to see. Tinsley was held out of the last preseason game, making me assume he’s got that final wide receiver spot.
Tight End (4)
- Mike Gesicki
- Drew Sample
- Noah Fant
- Tanner Hudson
Cut: Cam Grandy, Tanner McLachlan
IR: Erick All Jr.
Notes: Again, no changes here. Burrow has two really solid downfield threats in Gesicki and Fant, while Sample will be the primary blocking tight end. Hudson has shown he deserves a spot.
Offensive Line (10)
- Orlando Brown Jr.
- Dylan Fairchild
- Ted Karras
- Lucas Patrick
- Amarius Mims
- Jaxson Kirkland
- Matt Lee
- Jalen Rivers
- Cody Ford
- Seth McLaughlin
Cut: Devin Cochran, Andrew Coker, Andrew Raym, Andrew Stueber, Caleb Etienne
IR: Cordell Volson
Notes: Bengals fans all around the country are praying to the football gods that Dalton Risner and the Bengals come to an agreement to bring the free agent guard to Cincinnati. Right guard is an issue for the Bengals, and Volson is now out for the season. The Bengals opted to go with a bargain-bin signing in Patrick, and so far, it hasn’t helped them as much as they hoped.
Defensive Line (10)
- Trey Hendrickson
- B.J. Hill
- T.J. Slaton
- Joseph Ossai
- Shemar Stewart
- Myles Murphy
- Kris Jenkins
- McKinnley Jackson
- Cam Sample
- Taven Bryan
Cut: Isaiah Thomas, McTelvin Agim, Eric Gregory, Cedric Johnson, Howard Cross III, Raymond Johnson III
Notes: Again, we’re assuming Hendrickson will be on the field in Week 1. Most of these spots are set in stone, and the final call came down to Bryan vs Johnson for that final spot. I think the Bengals are thinner at DT than DE.
Linebacker (5)
- Logan Wilson
- Demetrius Knight Jr.
- Oren Burks
- Barrett Carter
- Maema Njongmeta
Cut: Joe Giles-Harris, Shaka Heyward, Craig Young
Notes: I thought about keeping six linebackers, because Knight has struggled throughout the preseason, but I don’t think anyone on the cut list above is really going to be an upgrade.
Cornerback (6)
- Cam Taylor-Britt
- Dax Hill
- D.J. Turner II
- Josh Newton
- DJ Ivey
- Marco Wilson
Cut: Nate Brooks, Jalen Davis, Bralyn Lux, Lance Robinson
Notes: No changes here. I think these six are set. I thought about going with five here to add a sixth linebacker, but decided against it.
Safety (4)
- Geno Stone
- Jordan Battle
- Tycen Anderson
- PJ Jules
Cut: Daijahn Anthony, Jaylen Key, Shaquan Loyal
Notes: This position group makes me more nervous than just about any other. Anthony didn’t have a great camp, and he is now dealing with a hamstring injury. Jules played well on Saturday, and I think that could put him over the hump.
Special Teams (3)
- Evan McPherson
- Ryan Rehkow
- Cal Adomitis
Cut: William Wagner
Notes: No changes here. McPherson is perfect on the preseason. No need to change a thing.
What do you think?
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