The Cincinnati Bengalshave finalized their roster for the upcoming season.
After spending the last 48 hours reviewing the game film and having conversations inside Paycor Stadium, Bengals coach Zac Taylor and director of personnel Duke Tobin put the final touches on their roster.
NFL teams had until 6 p.m. on Aug. 30 to get their rosters to 53 players. Even though the roster is set for the most part, Tobin and Taylor will continue to monitor the waiver wire after cuts are officially made to monitor who’s available league wide.
Cornerback and tackle are two positions to keep an eye on as far as where new players would be added. The Bengals released offensive lineman Cody Ford ahead of the final preseason game, leaving them with an opening at swing
tackle.
Other than potentially adding a few more backups at the positions mentioned above, the Bengals’ roster has been set for a while now. The final decisions came down to the players competing for the final few spots in specific positions.
Rookie offensive lineman Brian Parker and cornerback Ja'Sir Taylor will begin the season on injured reserve. Both players are expected to resume their roster spots when they are healthy. By placing Parker and Taylor on IR, the Bengals had two roster spots to use.
Cincinnati returns all 11 starters on offense and after the free agency and draft haul the team put together this offseason, the Bengals are as deep and talented as a team as they’ve ever been in the Joe Burrow era.
Here are some of the biggest takeaways from the reveal of the Bengals’ 53-man roster.
Bengals deepest position groups are defensive line, wide receiver and tight end
One of the Bengals’ biggest weaknesses in 2025 is now a position of strength.
The Bengals kept 11 defensive linemen, and all are expected to play a significant role this season. Cincinnati’s rebuilt defensive line is led by Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence who was acquired via a trade with the Giants in April.
Defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and defensive end Boye Mafe were two of the Bengals’ biggest signings in free agency. Rookie defensive end Cashius Howell is a player the team believes can make an impact right away. The team awarded seventh-round pick defensive tackle Landon Robinson a roster spot after a strong debut in August.
And eventually, former first-round pick Shemar Stewart will make his way back into the fold.
Stewart hyperextended his knee on the first day of practice and has yet to be able to return to the field. Taylor hasn’t given a timeline for his return, leaving his availability for the season-opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in question right now.
Another position the Bengals have plenty of reliable options at is tight end. Cincinnati is keeping five tight ends on the active roster: Mike Gesicki, Tanner Hudson, Drew Sample, Erick All and Jack Endries. None of the players who made the roster at this spot are necessarily a surprise, but it's still an interesting decision to keep five players in this position given the talent at the wide receiver spot.
The back half of Cincinnati’s wide receiver room looks a little different this year. Charlie Jones and Mitchell Tinsley are no longer on the team. Cincinnati drafted rookie Colbie Young in the fourth round of this year’s draft, and he’s shown flashes of promise so far. The final two spots were filled by Dohnte Meyers and Ke’Shawn Williams.
Young, Meyers and Williams will join Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Andrei Iosivas as the Bengals’ wide receivers this season.
Wide receiver Ke’Shawn Williams wins Bengals kick/punt returner job
One of the more noteworthy moves the team made was moving on from Jones in favor of Williams.
Jones returned 50 punts for 462 yards and one touchdown and 47 kicks for 1,284 yards and two touchdowns during his three seasons with the Bengals.
Cincinnati chose Williams over Jones to be the primary kick and punt returner.
The Bengals acquired Williams on waivers from Pittsburgh last season in December. He played in the final three games of the 2025 season and returned nine punts for 95 yards, eight kicks for 203 yards and had one reception for five yards.
Williams’ backup at returner will be Meyers who showed he’s more than capable of filling this role for the Bengals if Williams gets hurt. Meyers returned kicks and punts for Cincinnati in the second preseason game against the Bears and did a solid job.
Dohnte Meyers and Swayze Bozeman are new names worth knowing
In case you missed any of the Bengals’ preseason games, the star of the show was Meyers.
Meyers joined the Bengals on a reserve/future contract in January and not many could have predicted his story to play out how it did. When the Bengals held their voluntary offseason program, Meyers was there and quietly started to work his way up the depth chart.
The 26-year-old, who most recently spent the last two seasons playing in the Canadian Football League, caught the attention of the coaching staff and quarterback Joe Burrow.
Impressing coaches and personnel members in May and June doesn’t guarantee anyone a roster spot in the NFL, though. August would prove to be the most important month of Meyers’ career thus far. And he took full advantage of every rep he got in practice and in the three preseason games.
Meyers went undrafted out of Delta State University (NCAA Division II) in Cleveland, Miss. in 2022. The only league that was interested in Meyers’ services at the time was the CFL.
Four years later, Meyers earned a spot on a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
The Bengals acquired Bozeman on waivers from the Giants in May after a brief stint with the New York Giants. Bozeman entered the league as a college free agent signee with the Kansas City Chiefs after ending his collegiate career at the University of Southern Mississippi in 2023.
He played six games with the Chiefs in 2024 before he was cut and joined the Chicago Bears for the offseason in 2025. Bozeman’s third NFL stop brought him to the Giants following roster cuts last season and he went on to play six games with the Big Blue.
Cincinnati opted not to add to the linebacker room in free agency or the draft this offseason.
It was a move questioned by many pundits outside the building. At every moment this spring and summer, Taylor and Tobin have backed second-year linebackers Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter.
Veteran linebacker Oren Burks returns as the Bengals’ third option at this position. Based off the number of linebackers on the team and a lack of depth here, Bozeman will get opportunities when and if his number is called.
Throughout training camp and the preseason games, Bozeman was consistently running with the second-team defense. The team is pleased with what they saw from him during the exhibition games, and the hope is that he’ll continue to improve with the right coaching and environment around him.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Here are 3 biggest takeaways of Bengals roster after NFL deadline
