Greetings, Bengals fans! We’re inching closer and closer to the start of training camp and the beginning of the 2026 Bengals’ journey.
From top to bottom, this looks like one of the best Bengals teams assembled in recent memory, but it’s not without some question marks at several positions.
So, we want to know which projected Bengals starter is the likeliest to be benched in favor of someone else at some point this year.
The usual suspects are linebackers Demetrius Knight and Barrett Carter, both of
whom endured rocky rookie seasons and are already firmly under the microscope entering Year 2. However, there aren’t exactly many candidates to replace either of them on the roster, and the Bengals have yet to show they’re interested in free agents like Bobby Wagner.
Perhaps it will be another position where a new starter is inserted sometime this year. Jordan Battle has been wildly erratic at safety, though he’s not exactly had a good supporting cast around him. With guys like Bryan Cook and Dexter Lawrence now here, it’s likely now-or-never time for Battle to show he deserves to keep his starting spot.
Or, maybe you think it’s someone more under the radar like defensive end Myles Murphy. While he’s had some good stretches, he’s never put a full season together. There’s also a former first-round pick in Shemar Stewart and a second-round rookie in Cashius Howell looking to make some noise on the edge, so Murphy needs to bring it from the jump to hold onto his starting spot.
Let us know your thoughts in the poll below and down in the comments section!
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