5 Cincinnati Bengals With the Most at Stake in Training Camp

CINCINNATI – When the Cincinnati Bengals open training camp July 24, there is expected to be 90 players competing for 53 spots on the active roster.

But some of them will have more at stake than others.

Bengals Players With the Most To Gain in Training Camp

Let’s take a look at five players with the most to gain over the next couple of months.

Dax Hill

How Hill performs in camp will go a long way in determining how much he plays during the regular season, as the 2022 first-round pick finds himself in a battle with 2023 second-round pick DJ Turner II for a starting cornerback job.

And how much Hill plays this season will factor into the team’s decision whether to pick up his fifth-year option in May.

If the Bengals exercise Hill’s fifth-year option, he would be in line to make roughly $13 million in 2026. If the team declines, Hill could still end up earning that caliber of money in free agency if he plays well in 2025.

But he’s already lost a starting safety job due to ineffective play, and losing a battle for a cornerback spot certainly would stunt his earning power moving forward.

Fifth-year options are fully guaranteed, so having a great training camp and winning a starting job would be a huge first step toward a big pay day.

Dax Hill leads the team in tackles for loss (4) and is tied for most in the NFL among secondary players. He also leads the team in total tackles 👏 pic.twitter.com/bgCQNs2ruy

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) September 29, 2023

Jackson Carman

Another player with financial ramifications on the line, Carman’s contract calls for him to make $1.7 million this year.

But he will need to have a solid training camp in order to make that happen. The 2021 second-round pick has been given multiple opportunities to win a starting job and failed to do so.

This summer, it’s just going to be about earning what is expected to be two, maybe three backup spots on the line. The top six essentially is set with starters Orlando Brown Jr., Cordell Volson, Ted Karras and Alex Cappa joining right tackles Trent Brown and rookie first-rounder Amarius Mims.

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Another spot is going to go to the top interior lineman, so that leaves Carman battling for one of the few remaining jobs.

If Carman is part of the final cuts but comes back on the practice squad, his contract will be significantly lower than $1.7 million.

Brad Robbins

The 2023 sixth-round pick won the punting job last year, but he finds himself in another training camp battle again in 2024 after a disappointing rookie season.

Among the 30 punters with at least 45 attempts in 2023, Robbins ranked 28th in gross average (44.3), 24th in net average (40.6) and 25th in hang time (4.24).

His challenger this summer, undrafted rookie Austin McNamara, finished his college career with a career 45.9-yard average that was the best in Big 12 history and the 10th best in NCAA history among punters with at least 150 attempts.

Robbins isn’t just competing to stay on the roster — he might be competing to stay in the NFL.

Tanner Hudson

After bouncing around three organizations in four seasons, Hudson arrived in Cincinnati in 2023 looking for an opportunity.

Thanks to the struggles of Irv Smith, Hudson earned a game-day promotion from the practice squad in Week 3 and ended up appearing in 12 games while setting career highs in receptions (39), receiving yards (352), and touchdowns (one).

Hudson doesn’t offer much as a blocker, and the Bengals drafted a pair of tight ends they view as more complete players in Erick All (fourth round) and Tanner McLachlan (sixth).

Both rookies spent the offseason working on the rehab field, with All recovering from an ACL tear in October and McLachlan recovering from core muscle surgery in March.

Mike Gesicki and Drew Sample are locks to make the team, leaving Hudson to battle All and McLachlan for what could be just two spots on the 53-man roster.

Hudson signed a $1.3 million free-agent contract in March, but he will only make a fraction of that if he ends up on the practice squad instead of the 53-man roster.

Andrei ended his rookie season with not one but two TDs 👏

Performance of the Game | #GuinnessUS pic.twitter.com/wIylCfUuML

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 8, 2024

Andrei Iosivas

Iosivas surprised everyone last year by how quickly he adapted as a sixth-round pick out of the Ivy League. The Bengals had viewed him as a longer-term project, but he stepped in and played well when Tee Higgins had to miss games due to injuries.

It didn’t take him long to acquire one of the most valuable commodities a receiver can have – Joe Burrow’s trust.

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Iosvias spent the offseason working with a receiver coach in an attempt to improve his route running and technique even more, and a starting job is waiting for someone to grab after the Bengals allowed Tyler Boyd to walk in free agency.

There’s an assumption that third-round pick Jermaine Burton will lock down that starting spot, but Iosivas is going to have a say in that.