Cincy Jungle
How to watch the Bengals' first preseason action of the 2025 season.
The Cincinnati Bengals get to start the 2025 NFL preseason off against the Philadelphia Eagles, who won the Super Bowl last season.
Funnily enough, these two teams met in Week 8 with both teams seemingly at a crossroads in their seasons. The Bengals were 3-4, looking to get to .500, and the Eagles were 4-2 after a 2-2 start to the season. It felt like a game that could really help catapult either team into the second half of the season.
Well, Philadelphia won that game, and they went on to only lose a single other game the rest of the season, while Cincinnati finished one game away from the playoffs.
That is the past, though. This is preseason football. More importantly, it represents a new approach for the Bengals in their preseason, aiming to start stronger. Previously, we talked about how you’d be lucky to see any starters out there in any of these games. Head coach Zac Taylor has confirmed that starters will be playing this time around.
Obviously, they still won’t be out there long, and if anyone is dealing with a nagging injury, they’ll likely be in street clothes. This is all about balancing risk and reward. It is helpful to get these guys some actual live reps prior to the regular season. However, you don’t want to see anyone get hurt in an exhibition game that ultimately means nothing.
Still, we will likely see plenty of the rookies and players fighting for spots on the team this week. That is always the highlight of the preseason. Getting to see guys you usually don’t get the chance to work with to make their NFL dreams a reality.
