Bengals Training Camp is a week away from getting underway on the Kettering Health Practice Fields behind Paycor Stadium. Storylines abound, and there are many questions going into camp and about the Bengals’ 2026 season.
For the second straight season, the Voice of the Bengals, Dan Hoard, released an episode of the Bengals Booth Podcast where he asked five identical questions to seven Bengals beat writers as we get ready for the grind of Training Camp.
Richard Skinner (retired Local12 columnist),
James Rapien (host of First Word on The Crown, host of Enter the Jungle on Cincinnati Bengals Talk, publisher/writer for All Bengals at Sports Illustrated), Mike Petraglia (columnist for CLNS Media), Jay Morrison (writer for All Bengals and Sports Illustrated), Paul Dehner Jr. (columnist for The Athletic, host of The Growler Podcast), Kelsey Conway (writer for the Cincinnati Enquirer), and Ben Baby (writer for ESPN.com) all joined Dan Hoard on the latest Bengals Booth Podcast episode to share their answers to Dan’s five questions. After all seven members of the beat shared their answers, Dan shared his own.
Now, I’m giving you my answers to Dan’s questions. You can listen to this full episode of the Bengals Booth Podcast below.
1. What is your biggest question going into Training Camp?
I actually have three big storylines going into Bengals Training Camp this year. First, how good is the Bengals’ interior offensive line? Orlando Brown Jr. and Amarius Mims are rock solid at the tackles, but what about the inside of the Bengals’ offensive line?
Can Dylan Fairchild build on a solid rookie season? Will Ted Karras still be that rock-solid guy at center in his age-33 season? Is Dalton Risner the long-term answer at right guard? It’s going to be fascinating to see these three go up against a completely remade Bengals’ interior defensive line, with the likes of Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen, B.J. Hill, and the second wave of T.J. Slaton, Kris Jenkins Jr., and McKinnley Jackson.
Iron sharpens iron, and that will hopefully be the case for the Bengals’ interior offensive line and the Bengals’ defensive line in Training Camp.
Second, who is this team’s WR3? Is Andrei Ioisvas going to break out like we kept hearing that he could in each of the last two seasons? What’s Colbie Young’s role going to be? Depth is thin behind Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Sure, there are some fun pieces in Charlie Jones and Mitchell Tinsley. But who steps up behind Chase and Higgins is a major question.
Third, are the Bengals’ edge rushers going to be a difference-maker on this team? If they are, even after Trey Hendrickson left in free agency this offseason, that would be a major accomplishment. But with Boye Mafe, Myles Murphy, Shemar Stewart, and Cassius Howell in the fold, there is an infusion of talent at a position that’s a huge value and difference-maker in the NFL.
Is Stewart going to rewrite an early narrative on his career? Is Mafe entering the prime of his career? Does Murphy build on a strong second half last year? What’s Howell’s role going to be? The edge rushers on this team are fascinating because they’re not getting a lot of attention, but they could.
2. Who is this year’s breakout player?
I so wanted to go Jack Endries for this one because he’s, low-key, my favorite draft pick on the Bengals this season. But I’ll save him for another question. For this year’s breakout, I’m going Boye Mafe.
Look at who Mafe played with on the Seattle Seahawks’ defense last year, a defense that led the Seahawks to the Super Bowl LX title. If you’re wondering why Mafe’s numbers were down in 2025, that’s why. But it was his ability to pressure the quarterback that impacted Leonard Williams, Uchenna Nwosu, DeMarcus Lawrence, Byron Murphy II, and Jarran Reed and all of their abilities to finish at the quarterback.
Now in Cincinnati, Mafe has a greater chance to have bigger numbers this season. While the Bengals’ defensive line is retooled on paper, we still haven’t seen it on the field yet. We know what Mafe can do, and he’s only three seasons removed from a nine-sack season.
We saw how great Trey Hendrickson became in his five seasons with the Bengals, and his career took off after signing with them in free agency. Maybe Mafe will have a similar trajectory.
3. Who is this year’s Mitchell Tinsley?
Jack Endries. I’m a big fan of the Bengals’ seventh-round pick. He had a really good college career at both California and Texas, and he’s coming in with a chip on his shoulder. The sure-handed pass-catcher could be an asset to the Bengals in short-yardage situations, the red zone, goal-to-go scenarios, and even in between the 40s where a conversion could nullify having to make a decision on whether to punt, go for it, or kick a long field goal.
4. The Bengals win the AFC North if… what?
Well, first of all, they need to sweep the Browns. Seriously. Myles Garrett isn’t even in Cleveland anymore.
But I’ll echo something Paul Dehner Jr. said, and that’s this Bengals’ offense needs to come out swinging against their division rivals. Remember 2021, when the Bengals swept both the Steelers and Ravens? The Bengals put up 41 points in both games against the Ravens and once against the Steelers. Joe Burrow threw for 941 yards in two games against the Ravens, and Ja’Marr Chase had 326 receiving yards in those two games.
Can the Bengals counter the counters the Ravens, Steelers, and Browns showed over the last four seasons? I want to see the Bengals’ offense just come out and unleash an aerial attack that decimates all three teams, whether at home or on the road.
Yeah, the Bengals may be constructed differently than the other three teams in the AFC North. But in those division games, screw that. Play your game, and make them beat you.
5. Give a sizzling hot take about the 2026 Bengals
I hope you’re ready for this one. For clarity, I don’t 100% believe this will happen. But the point of a hot take, at least in my opinion, is to predict something that could happen but you may not necessarily believe will.
This is a two-part hot take. Here goes. The Bengals will HOST the AFC Championship Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. What an environment that would be if it happens: A night game in The Jungle against the Steelers, with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
But wait, let’s add something to this. Part two is that Joe Flacco will have to come in for a significant play or drive in the fourth quarter because of something that happens to Joe Burrow. Whether it be a stinger, cramps, or being evaluated for a concussion, Flacco will have to come in for a play or drive, or a half, and I believe he will deliver.
Can you imagine if that happens?
