The fact that the preseason games don’t technically count makes some football fans think they’re pointless. However, preseason games are far from useless for players trying to make the team or move up the depth chart before the start of the regular season. For those guys, the preseason holds immense significance.
Here are three Cincinnati Bengals players who must perform well on Saturday, August 10, when the team plays the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in its first preseason game.
After being selected by the Bengals in the first round (28th overall) of the 2023 draft, Myles Murphy is set to begin his second season with the organisation. With Cam Sample’s season-ending injury sustained during training camp, Murphy will face increased pressure to perform well.
Murphy will need to step up for the Bengals in his sophomore season after a quiet first campaign. Murphy only had 20 total tackles and three sacks in his debut season. Additionally, he only participated in 28% of Cincinnati’s defensive snaps.
That figure is probably going to go up in the next campaign since Murphy will have the chance to contribute consistently. The former Clemson standout will have a great chance to demonstrate that he’s prepared for a bigger role in the first preseason game.
