Four Things to Watch For on Day One of Cincinnati Bengals Training Camp

Cincinnati's first practice is on Wednesday afternoon.

CINCINNATI — The Bengals start training camp officially on Wednesday afternoon, as they'll practice for the first time this season. Cincinnati is hoping to win their third-straight AFC North Championship. 

Here are four things to watch for on day one of camp: 

Extension Imminent?

© Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Will the Bengals sign Joe Burrow to a contract extension on Wednesday? Will the agreement come this week? 

All eyes are on the 26-year-old and the Bengals front office following Justin Herbert's agreement with the Chargers on Tuesday night. 

Burrow is expected to become the highest-paid player in the NFL. He'll likely reset the quarterback market and raise the bar for future signal-callers 

"Joe Burrow is the heart of the football team," Bengals President and team owner said earlier this week. 

It's not a matter of "if," but when a contract gets done. That could happen any time. 

Until the deal is agreed to, it'll be the biggest storyline hovering over Bengals training camp.  

Right Tackle Battle

© Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Bengals insist that Jackson Carman will battle Jonah Williams for the starting right tackle job. 

Will they split reps with the first-team? Doesn't Williams need every rep he can get after making the switch from left tackle? 

Carman took all of the first-team reps during the offseason program with Williams out and La'el Collins still recovering from a torn ACL. Collins would certainly be in the mix if healthy, but it sounds like he'll spend some time on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list after undergoing knee reconstruction surgery in January. 

The split between Williams and Carman will give us a good idea of how the coaching staff views the right tackle spot. 

My gut tells me Williams will get every opportunity to win the job, especially considering Carman has lost two training camp battles over the past two seasons. 

Xavier Su'a-Filo beat him out for the right guard job when he was a rookie and Cordell Volson snatched the left guard job in camp last season. 

New-Look Safety Room

© Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

There has been plenty of chatter about the possibility of Lou Anarumo using more three-safety looks for a second-straight offseason. 

Last year he stuck with Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell—two proven veterans that earned his trust. 

How much will he experiment with a quartet of Dax Hill, Nick Scott, Jordan Battle and Tycen Anderson? 

Hill was impressive in training camp last year and is expected to play the most snaps. They signed Scott for a reason and he's expected to start alongside Hill. 

Will Battle push for playing time on defense? Is Anderson flying under the radar after missing his entire rookie year? 

These are questions that we should get the answer to during training camp and in the preseason.

Running Back Rotation

Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Joe Mixon is locked in as the Bengals' starting running back, but Cincinnati still needs to find their passing down back with Samaje Perine no longer on the roster. 

Trayveon Williams appears to be the favorite for that job, but rookie Chase Brown and third-year back Chris Evans are also in the mix. 

Which guy will emerge as a reliable blocker and pass catcher out of the backfield? Perine was a quality pass blocker, but also caught a career-high 38 passes and four touchdowns last season. 

This is one of the Bengals' biggest position battles in training camp. Whoever wins the job is going to be on the field in crucial moments and they'll have to help protect Burrow when it matters most.

For more on the Bengals, watch the video below and subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Make sure you bookmark All Bengals for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

You May Also Like:

Look: Joe Burrow Wearing New Type of Helmet

Torry Holt Loves What He's Seeing From Bengals Wide Receiver Ja'Marr Chase

Look: Bengals Rookies And Quarterbacks Get Back on Practice Field

Watch: Joe Burrow, Bengals Rookies And Quarterbacks Arrive For Training Camp

Damar Hamlin Returns to Cincinnati For Charitable Event: 'My Third Home'

Look: Ken Riley's Memorabilia Displayed at Pro Football Hall of Fame

Insider Believes Bengals Will Keep La'el Collins on Roster This Season, Despite Speculation About His Future

Look: Bengals Player Betting Props Available For 2023 Season

Patrick Mahomes Praises Joe Burrow In Netflix Show 'Quarterback,' Reveals Why He Wanted to Play Bengals in AFC Title Game

Bengals Star Joe Burrow Sheds Light on Relationship With Ja'Marr Chase

Joe Burrow on Trash Talk Between Ja'Marr Chase, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce: 'We'll See Them in December'

La'el Collins Back in Cincinnati, Training Before Start of Bengals Training Camp

Corey Dillon Clarifies Ring of Honor Comments, Hopes to Meet With Bengals Owner Mike Brown

Insider Expects Bengals to Try to Restructure Joe Mixon's Contract Before Start of 2023 Season

Bengals Punter Kevin Huber Officially Announces Retirement

-----

Be sure to keep it locked on All Bengals all the time!

Subscribe to the All Bengals YouTube channel

Follow AllBengals on Twitter: @AllBengals

Like Our Facebook Page

Subscribe and follow the ONLY Daily Bengals Podcast

Follow on TikTok