With NFL training camps kicking off in July, it's time to get up to speed on all 32 NFL teams. Nick Shook has the lowdown on position battles, key players and notable subplots across the AFC North.
Catch up on the Cincinnati Bengals' offseason developments and 2025 outlook below.
Training Camp Dates/Information
- Players report: July 18 (rookies); July 22 (veterans)
- Location: Kettering Health Practice Fields | Cincinnati, Ohio (fan information)
Notable Roster Changes
| 2025 Draft class | Selection |
|---|---|
| Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M | Round 1 (No. 17 overall) |
| Demetrius Knight Jr. | Round 2 (No. 49 overall) |
| Dylan Fairchild, C, Georgia | Round 3 (No. 81 overall) |
| Barrett Carter, LB, Clemson | Round 4 (No. 119 overall) |
| Jalen Rivers, OT, Miami | Round 5 (No. 153 overall) |
| Tahj Brooks, RB, Texas Tech | Round 6 (No. 193 overall) |
Preseason Schedule
- Week 1: at Philadelphia Eagles | 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 7
- Week 2: at Washington Commanders | 8 p.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 18
- Week 3: vs. Indianapolis Colts | 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 23
2025 Schedule Note
- Joe Burrow is 1-9 as a starter in Weeks 1 and 2.
-- NFL Research
What You Need To Know
1) After finding a way to retain both Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins with lucrative contract extensions (and signing Joe Burrow a year earlier), the Bengals have paid almost everyone due for a big contract in the last 16 months. The persistent financial attention that followed Chase's participation in training camp has been addressed, and Higgins is no longer being viewed as a late-season participation risk. Everything is good in Cincinnati then, right? Well, not quite. Trey Hendrickson has dug into his stance as a player who deserves a raise after consecutive 17.5-sack seasons, yet the Bengals still haven't found a way to get a deal done. He skipped the Bengals' offseason program and the tone surrounding the situation has not improved, leaving Cincinnati fans nervous they might enter 2025 without the team's best defender – a reality that seems even worse when considering how significantly the team struggled for much of 2024. Speaking of which…
2) Once beloved defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo lost his job after his unit finished 25th in total yards allowed last season, and while Anarumo owns a solid reputation, the firing made sense. Cincinnati's defense couldn't stop a nosebleed and was largely responsible for the Bengals digging themselves a hole in the first half of the season, an issue magnified by the fact they lost four games in which they scored 33 or more points. The Bengals' lopsided financial investment in their offense has left them somewhat hamstrung defensively, but they made an effort to address that in the draft, spending three of their six picks on defenders, including first-rounder Shemar Stewart. But Stewart, who like Hendrickson is at a contract impasse with the Bengals, is also the latest pick that boasts more traits than production as he enters the NFL (with the other being Myles Murphy, a player expected to help replace the retired Sam Hubbard in this defense). Effectively, 2025 will be a test of general manager Duke Tobin's draft strategy on the defensive side, because they'll need these past picks to produce if they want to recover from the nightmare that was 2024. And make no mistake: The pressure is undoubtedly on this team to deliver.
3) Zac Taylor has served as head coach of the Bengals since 2019. In five of his six seasons at the helm, the Bengals have lost their first two games of the campaign. They're notoriously slow starters, and in some seasons, it has made the challenge that is the marathon of an NFL season that much more difficult. With plenty of eyes focused on them – and a behemoth known as Baltimore residing in their division – the Bengals need to buck this trend, a goal that can only be achieved if Taylor has his team ready. Ideally, Cincinnati won't have to clear the hurdles that have been placed in front of it in recent years (Burrow's calf injury in 2023, Chase's uncertain status entering 2024), but regardless of what adversity it might encounter, the onus is ultimately on Taylor. If Cincinnati falls short of the postseason again in 2025, Taylor's seat will only heat up more. It's imperative the Bengals start 2025 on the right foot.
