The Cincinnati Bengals don’t have a ton of notable training camp battles or cut candidates going into 2022 thanks to a strong surge of continuity across the roster and coaching staff after a Super Bowl run.
But there is a notable battle to watch on special teams.
At punter, specifically. The Bengals brought back long-time veteran Kevin Huber late in the process and he’ll spar with the undrafted Drue Chrisman from 2021.
ESPN’s Ben Baby noted Huber is the one major cut candidate to watch this summer:
“This might be the first time in a few years where a veteran cut candidate doesn’t necessarily jump out. But Huber, the 14-year veteran, enters this training camp facing a little competition in Drue Chrisman, a 2021 Ohio State graduate who has bounced on and off Cincinnati’s practice squad as undrafted free agent. Huber needs one more appearance to set the franchise record for most games. He has played in 207 games, the same as cornerback Ken Riley (1969-1983).”
Chrisman would undoubtedly appear to have a big shot at swiping the job and potentially locking it down for a long time.
During the draft this year, other teams thought the Bengals were in on punters as early as the fourth round. That not only made sense given Huber’s age and performance, but a year after finding major success in drafting kicker Evan McPherson relatively early. Other teams pounced, the Bengals didn’t draft a punter and then brought Huber back.
As we dial in on roster battles this summer, special teams will certainly be under the microscope.
