The Cincinnati Bengals have a problem NFL teams generally like: They have too many players who look like they belong.
That was evident in the Bengals’ 16-14 preseason victory over the Detroit Lions, when several players fighting for roster spots made legitimate cases to stick around. Dohnte Meyers, Colbie Young, Jack Endries and others helped make the roster decisions more difficult, while the revamped defensive line showed just how much the talent level has improved across the board.
That also means
some players who looked relatively safe earlier in the offseason may not be as secure as they once appeared.
Cincinnati still has two preseason games remaining before the Aug. 30 roster deadline, so plenty can change. But based on the current depth chart, offseason additions, and what we saw against Detroit, here are seven players who could become surprise cuts.
Tahj Brooks
Brooks might be the most obvious name on this list, but cutting him would still qualify as a surprise given the investment Cincinnati has made in him, and the lack of clarity behind the top two backs on the roster.
The Bengals selected Brooks in the 2025 NFL Draft, and he entered the summer with a legitimate opportunity to establish himself as Chase Brown’s primary backup. Instead, his development has been fairly quiet.
Cincinnati’s official roster outlook entering training camp had Brooks as one of five returning running backs, with undrafted rookies Kentrel Bullock and Jamal Haynes joining the room. The Bengals also identified Brooks as someone who could contribute as a punt protector.
But after the first preseason game, it’s still difficult to point to much that Brooks has done to separate himself. That’s particularly concerning because the Bengals have several other backs competing for relatively few spots.
Samaje Perine is a safe and still-productive veteran presence behind Brown, but the remaining jobs could come down to special teams, versatility, and who simply makes more plays over the final two preseason games.
Brooks doesn’t necessarily need to have a bad preseason to lose this battle. He just needs someone else to make the Bengals believe they can get similar production elsewhere.
T.J. Slaton Jr.
This one would be considerably more surprising.
Slaton started all 17 games for Cincinnati in 2025 and produced career highs of three sacks and 52 tackles. Entering this offseason, he looked like an important part of the Bengals’ defensive line.
Then Cincinnati went out and dramatically upgraded the position.
Jonathan Allen and Dexter Lawrence now headline the interior, while B.J. Hill (freshly returned from the PUP List), Kris Jenkins Jr. and rookie Landon Robinson have all given the Bengals legitimate options. McKinnley Jackson, Jordan Jefferson and Howard Cross III are also competing for snaps.
And yet, here’s the strange part: Slaton actually had a good preseason opener.
According to Bengals.com, Slaton was the team’s highest-graded defender against Detroit, despite playing only six snaps, including a tipped pass.
So why include him? Because roster decisions aren’t made in a vacuum.
Slaton’s performance probably makes him safer than he was entering the preseason, but the Bengals could ultimately decide that they don’t need six or seven defensive tackles on the initial 53-man roster. It’s not only a numbers game in terms of position, but salary cap implications as well, after the team made such heavy investments.
It would be a genuine shock if Slaton were released after what he showed last season and against Detroit. Many (including this writer) would be against it, as depth up front is crucial in the NFL—and, particularly in the AFC North.
But that’s exactly what makes him a surprise-cut candidate.
Mitchell Tinsley
What a difference six months make. Tinsley was already a player worth watching before the preseason opener. Now, things have gotten considerably more interesting.
The Bengals gave Tinsley a one-year extension through the 2026 season after he spent the previous two seasons on Cincinnati’s roster, and he entered camp competing for a larger role behind Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Andrei Iosivas.
The problem is that Dohnte Meyers has arrived.
The former CFL standout was one of the biggest stories of Cincinnati’s preseason opener, producing four touches for 42 yards and adding an 11-yard punt return. Bengals.com noted that Meyers appears to be leading the competition toward the back of the receiver room.
That creates a fascinating numbers game. If Chase, Higgins, Iosivas and Charlie Jones are considered safe, there may only be two remaining spots.
Tinsley is competing with Meyers and Colbie Young for those jobs. Young had two catches for 28 yards against Detroit and continues to show the type of size and physicality that could make him difficult to leave off the roster. And because he was a fourth-round draft pick this year, he’s already likely to make the 53-man roster, leaving just one spot between Tinsley and Meyers to earn.
Suddenly, Tinsley’s previous experience and 2025 regular season highlight-reel catches may not be enough. He could absolutely make the roster. But if Meyers continues to produce and Young keeps flashing, Tinsley could become the odd man out.
Charlie Jones
This might be the most controversial name on the list.
Jones has already established himself as one of the Bengals’ most valuable special-teams players, and his three career return touchdowns aren’t insignificant. Bengals.com specifically noted that those touchdowns continue to loom large in the roster equation.
But Jones didn’t exactly help his case as a receiver against Detroit. He finished the game without a catch (was close to making a long one from Joe Flacco) and had one fair catch.
Meanwhile, Meyers made plays on offense. Ke’Shawn Williams had a 48-yard kickoff return, a seven-yard punt return, and an eight-yard end-around. Colbie Young continued to make plays downfield.
And that’s before considering Tinsley and the other receivers competing for limited spots. This is why Jones is an interesting potential surprise cut rather than an obvious bubble player.
Jones’ special-teams value could ultimately save him. But if the Bengals decide they can replace his return duties while gaining more offensive versatility from another receiver, Jones could suddenly become vulnerable.
He has earned his place in the final roster conversation. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’s guaranteed a place on the 53-man roster.
Tanner Hudson
Hudson might be the quietest surprise cut candidate of the bunch.
He’s been around. He’s been productive. And he’s earned the trust of the coaching staff.
But Cincinnati’s tight end room has changed.
Mike Gesicki and Drew Sample offer established veteran roles. Erick All Jr. is finally returning to the field after his ACL injury, and the Bengals like his potential. Rookie Jack Endries just had three catches and a touchdown against Detroit and has impressed the coaching staff with his blocking progress.
That’s a lot of competition.
The Bengals kept five tight ends in the latest post-preseason projection from Cincy Jungle, but that’s hardly guaranteed. Keeping five means sacrificing a roster spot somewhere else, and Cincinnati has plenty of other positions where players are making legitimate cases.
Hudson’s veteran experience could ultimately win the day.
But if the Bengals decide they can get enough receiving production from Gesicki and All while keeping Sample and Endries for their blocking and developmental value, Hudson could become expendable.
And that would qualify as a pretty significant surprise considering how much he has contributed to Cincinnati in recent seasons.
McKinnley Jackson
Here’s the defensive name that might make some Bengals fans nervous.
Jackson was a third-round pick in 2024, but his first two seasons haven’t produced the kind of consistent role Cincinnati hoped for when it drafted him. And now the defensive tackle room is absolutely loaded.
Lawrence and Allen are the marquee additions. Hill remains a veteran presence. Jenkins and Robinson have both flashed. Slaton has experience and performed well against Detroit in the preseason opener.
That leaves Jackson competing for a spot in an unusually deep room.
Cincy Jungle’s Jason Garrison already identified Jackson as a potential cut, noting that the former third-round pick struggled to consistently make the active roster last season and now faces significantly more competition following Cincinnati’s offseason additions.
That’s what makes this one particularly fascinating.
Normally, a former third-round pick entering his third season would be given plenty of opportunities to establish himself. But the Bengals don’t have to keep him simply because they drafted him, much less in the third round.
If Jackson doesn’t separate himself during the remaining preseason games, Cincinnati could decide that another player gives them more value.
Jack Endries
While Endries had a nice preseason debut and was a seventh-round draft pick this year, he’s still got to earn his spot at a very crowded position entering the final weeks of preseason play.
The Bengals may very well opt to keep five tight ends, but while Endries has flashed in the passing game, Cam Grandy is someone who’s already been on the 53-man roster and knows the offense well as primarily a blocking tight end.
The Bengals clearly like Grandy. They have continued to bring him back since he arrived as an undrafted free agent in 2024, and he signed another one-year extension in January. He’s also already shown that he can contribute at the NFL level.
Cincinnati entered the summer with Grandy, Mike Gesicki, Drew Sample, Tanner Hudson, and Erick All Jr. returning, while also adding Endries. And Endries went out and had one of the most impressive performances of the preseason opener. The rookie caught three passes for 32 yards and a touchdown against Detroit, including a touchdown reception from Joe Flacco. He also continued to earn praise for his blocking, making him an increasingly intriguing candidate to stick on the roster.
Still, this is a position that’s going to make it tough for Endries to make the cut.
Gesicki offers unique receiving ability from the slot. Sample has established himself as a blocker and core special-teams contributor. All has the upside of a former fourth-round pick finally returning from injury. And Hudson has been a proven pass-catcher for Joe Burrow.
That’s four spots that could be spoken for before Endries and Grandy enter the conversation. And Cincinnati may not even want to keep five tight ends.
The Bengals’ biggest roster problem is actually a good one
The interesting thing about these potential cuts is that most of them aren’t players who have simply played themselves off the roster.
Quite the opposite. Slaton had a strong preseason opener. Meyers made a major push that could hurt Tinsley’s chances.
Meanwhile, Young is making the receiver battle more competitive, and Endries is making the tight end room more difficult to navigate.
And the defensive line has become so deep that legitimate NFL-caliber players could be fighting for one or two remaining spots. That’s a dramatic change from where the Bengals were a year ago.
The first preseason game gave us some answers. It also created a lot more questions.
And with joint practices against Chicago and two preseason games still to come, several of these supposedly “safe” players could find themselves in a very different position by the time Cincinnati has to get down to 53.
That’s what makes the next two weeks so fascinating. The Bengals aren’t just deciding which players are good enough; they’re deciding which good players they simply can’t afford to keep.
