Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor spoke with the media Thursday morning before the joint practice with the Chicago Bears.
There, Taylor revealed the Bengals would not play any starters on Saturday, regardless of how they perform during the joint practice sessions.
And because teams don’t typically play starters in the third preseason game, this all but assures we won’t see Joe Burrow and other starters play again until the September 13 regular-season opener vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
When
the Bengals scheduled joint practices, it seemed like sitting the starters would always be the way to go. I cannot disagree with the decision to play it safe, especially coming off of some spirited practice sessions right before.
This should give plenty of opportunities to the guys behind the starters that are trying to carve out a spot in the rotation, along with a spot on the 53-man roster, or the practice squad on Saturday night. We should see plenty of action from the young rookies, including in that.
Cashius Howell isn’t technically a starter, but is expected to be a key rotational player for the Bengals. Tacario Davis was held out for precautionary measures last week, but is expected to make his debut against the Bears on Saturday.
Colbie Young could continue to push Andrei Iosivas for playing time; Landon Robinson and Jack Endries could solidify themselves on the 53-man roster.
While there is plenty to still look forward to, this all but guarantees we won’t see the starters in preseason action for the rest of the way. The last preseason game has never been one that the starters play, and I can’t imagine that changing this year, even though there are only three preseason games now. The Bengals’ preseason finale is August 28 on the road vs. the Philadelphia Eagles.
The next time we will see the Bengals starters will be against the Bucs on September 13, as they kick off the regular season at home.
Do you agree with Taylor’s decision to keep the starters out of the next two preseason games? Sound off in the comments section!
