Zac Taylor Reveals Starter Workload For First Preseason Game, Players Out With Injuries

 Zac Taylor met with the media on Tuesday morning as Cincinnati gets back on the practice field for one more session before taking on Philadelphia in the opening preseason game of the 2025 season Thursday night.

Taylor noted a few Bengals names will not see the field Thursday due to injury, including CB Dax Hill, TE Mike Gesicki, C Matt Lee, DT B.J. Hill, DE Cedric Johson, and CB Marco Wilson.

Gesicki (hamstring) would be questionable this week if it were a regular-season contest. Taylor mentioned Noah Fant getting some good experience in his place, but Fant will not play on Thursday as he continues learning the playbook.

"I think he'd be questionable if we were playing a game Sunday, a real football game, he'd be working back to play in that game," Taylor said about Gesicki. "So I think that's the best way to phrase the status right now, is he was optimistic that if we were playing a real game this weekend, he'd be able to go, so we'll continue to manage him, whether that means we'll gear him back up next week. We're going to be really protective with Mike, and it also coincides with Noah [Fant] getting back in the mix here. So it's a great opportunity for Noah to get some reps in there, and integrate him into the offense."

In terms of play totals for starters like Joe Burrow and others, Taylor was vague, noting they will play "several" series. The biggest workload is coming during the Washington game on Aug. 18.

"We don't have this charted as the biggest play time for our guys," Taylor said. "We really picked Washington to be a little more than that. So, again, another thing I hate to put in stone. A couple of series, several series, several series is what we'll give those starters."

Cincinnati has three preseason games before the real show on Sept. 7.