The Cincinnati Bengals and Chicago Bears will get a joint practice in before their game on Saturday. It will be a chance for the team to get an extended look at their players against a different unit than the very familiar faces of their own teammates.
We will surely be looking at how each unit performs, but most importantly everyone simply will be holding their breath hoping everyone makes it out of the practices healthy. There will almost certainly be some fights as these are teams that likely practice two
different ways.
It will be interesting to see how the new look defense measures up (albeit in a practice setting without tackling) against yet another offense. It simply will not be as intense as the preseason game will be, but with a unit that has been overhauled so much, you take any chance to see how they are measuring up before the season.
Tell us down in the comments who you hope shines bright during the joint practice.
Bengals News
Brothers In Arms Zac And Press Taylor Hope Practice Makes Perfect
“This is probably as good as my parents could have asked for,” muses Bears offensive coordinator Press Taylor driving into work the other day. “There’s not going to be a winner or a loser. We’re all together on the same field and no stakes. I think they like that.”
It may not be the Harbaugh Brothers meeting in the Super Bowl, but it is still cool to see two brothers meet on an NFL field. A lot of work goes into being a coach at that level and even more luck.
Ja’Marr Chase Ranked No. 16 on NFL Top 100 List
Chase was named Associated Press First-Team All Pro for the second consecutive season in 2025 after tallying 125 receptions for 1,412 yards and eight touchdowns. He became the third player in NFL with at least 125 receptions in consecutive seasons and set the Bengals single-season record with seven 100-yard receiving games. Chase became the fifth-fastest player in NFL history to cross the 6,000 yards receiving threshold during Week 7 against the Pittsburgh Steelers last season, hitting the milestone in his 69th regular-season game.
Just a friendly reminder that the only thing good about the NFL Top 100 is the little videos of players talking about the guys who made the list. Chase is either the No. 1 or No. 2 wide receiver in the NFL depending on if you ask someone in Minnesota or not. Him being at 16 is silly.
Murphy and Turner are emerging as young cornerstones on the Bengals’ defense
“Why wouldn’t I go against the best receiver?” Turner said. “It’s as simple as that. He makes me way better. I’m going to make sure I make him way better. I evolve every year and keep getting better. He works. I work. We’ve got the best quarterback. It can’t get better than this. That’s how I look at it, and it pays off.”
Cincinnati is banking quite a bit on these young players, and if they play as well as the Bengals are hoping they will have to pay to keep them. Both are heading into their final seasons of their contracts. Hopefully they can retain both.
This Bengals Veteran Could Be Cincinnati’s Next Surprise Cut Candidate
“Tanner Hudson could be on the outs within a healthy Cincinnati Bengals tight end room,” Moton wrote. “In 2024, Erick All Jr. tore his ACL and missed the entire 2025 campaign. Mike Gesicki missed four games last year. They’re both at full strength. By the way, Cincinnati selected Jack Endries in the seventh round of this year’s draft.
Hudson shouldn’t be so surprising. The tight end room is stacked currently. Hudson is 31-years-old and they have young guys like All, Endries and even Cam Grandy. All of these young guys have shown serious promise and most of them have the added benefit of being solid to good blockers as well. Hudson has had memorable time in Cincinnati, but there is a new wave of players coming in.
NFL News
NFL Network: Texans WR Jayden Higgins (torn ACL) out for 2026 season
The No. 34 overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, Higgins caught 41 passes for 525 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie, finding himself in an elevated role following Tank Dell’s season-ending injury suffered late in the 2024 campaign.
Always unfortunate to see a young player go down like this before the year even starts. The Houston Texans really need as much help as they can get at wide receiver after CJ Stroud regressed last season.
Seahawks sign CB Trevon Diggs as Terrion Arnold deal remains in limbo
The move comes after the Seahawks put the signing of former first-rounder Terrion Arnold on hold. Arnold is facing eight felony charges in connection with a February robbery and kidnapping. Schefter added that the club still plans to sign the former Detroit Lions corner, who is expected to land on the Commissioner’s Exempt List.
It is quite interesting that the Seahawks plan on signing both players. Obviously, Arnold’s situation has so much more going on beyond football, and Diggs has not been the same player that made him a household name early in his career. Seattle seems to be hedging their bets on a couple low-risk signings.
One potential first-time Pro Bowler from each AFC team heading into the 2026 NFL season
DJ Turner II’s play surged in 2025. Unfortunately, the rest of a moribund Bengals defense left him an afterthought. The sticky cover man netted a -6.2% CPOE, fifth-best among all CBs (min. 500 coverage snaps) and a -0.1 EPA per target, per Next Gen Stats. With an upgraded unit around the rising CB, Turner’s play should improve even more in 2026.
DJ Turner should have been a Pro Bowler last season. He was one of the biggest snubs. If Cincinnati is a better team, he should get the attention he deserves. It would also help if the defense wasn’t one of the worst units in NFL history.
