Bengals' year of firsts symbolizes optimism amid brutal losing skid

Amidst what is feeling more like a lost year for the Cincinnati Bengals with each passing week, it's hard to find anything positive for fans to take forward besides the hope that their cries for changes in the organization will be heard. And that some freak athlete for a Power 5 school, likely currently working on an essay, will have their name called by Cincy come April. However, we've got a long way before the night when dreams are made true, so cool off on the mock drafts a little bit. One thing fans can be happy about — something that isn't months in advance — is players stepping up and accomplishing career firsts that they'll remember for the rest of their lives. Cincinnati has had several of these already, only six weeks into the 2025 season, young Bengals stepping up and doing something that they haven't done yet on the football field at a professional level. So, let's highlight some of these notable occasions ahead of a nasty divisional matchup vs. Pittsburgh, which could lead to a fifth straight los