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Bengals' OL problems could show up big on final cuts
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- Bengals' OL problems could show up big on final cuts
The Cincinnati Bengals have a problem brewing along the offensive line.
While the Bengals return all five starters on the line for the first time in the Joe Burrow era, the depth behind those first on the chart looks shaky.
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That's especially the case at offensive tackle, where swing backup Cody Ford has struggled just as much as Jalen Rivers , if not more.
Right now, it's pacing like Ford could very well lose his backup job, though head coach Zac Taylor continues to stress patience publicly.
"If a backup tackle has to go in the game, we want to keep playing the way that we play," Taylor said, according to Charlie Clifford of WLWT. "Just have to be able to trust them in a game. There is plenty of competition there, and we still have two weeks to go with it."
The Bengals drafted Rivers in the fifth round of the 2025 draft and gave him a handful of starts at guard before Dalton Risner replaced him. He was given a chance to prove himself at tackle in the second preseason game over the weekend and struggled.
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Even so, the Bengals love Rivers' versatility. Ford, on the other hand, is a seasoned veteran who wouldn't be expected to struggle in a preseason game largely filled with backups.
When it comes down to it on final cut day, the Bengals might favor the combination of versatility and youth, banking on the possible upside Rivers still might have, instead opting to move on from Ford.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals' OL problems could show up big on final cuts
