Bengals plan to play starters in their preseason opener

The Bengals will kick off their preseason schedule next Thursday and head coach Zac Taylor shared some of his plans for that game against the Lions at a Thursday press conference.

Taylor was asked if he is planning to play the team’s starters against Detroit and Taylor said that those players will see action.

“They will play a little bit. We’ll just determine how much at a later date,” Taylor said.

It’s a similar approach to the one the Bengals took to start the 2025 preseason. After leaving starters on the bench for several years in August, the Bengals changed course by putting Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and others on the field. Burrow went 9-of-10 for 123 yards and two touchdowns, including one to Chase, before heading to the bench.

The shift in approach was designed to help the team get off to a faster start in the regular season and it looked successful as the Bengals opened with a pair of wins, but an injury to Burrow helped send them to a 4-11 record the rest of the way.