Evaluating the Bengals’ guard room for the 2025-26 season

The Bengals head into the 2025-26 season with several question marks on the roster. Veteran cornerback Mike Hilton is currently a free agent and unlikely to return to Cincinnati. Veteran linebacker Germaine Pratt seems on the verge of being cut or traded after six seasons with the franchise, and the sudden retirement of seven-year veteran Sam Hubbard leaves questions about leadership and production on various parts of the roster.

The biggest question mark heading into next season is the offensive guard position, along with who starts and the long-term upside of that group. Currently, there seems to be a logjam at the position, full of unknowns, as the Bengals have six or more players that could compete for a starting or depth job at guard this upcoming season.

Players such as Dylan Fairchild, Cody Ford, Jaxson Kirkland, Lucas Patrick, Cordell Volson, and Jalen Rivers are all going to be competing for a starting job at either guard spot, with current backup center Matt Lee possibly getting an opportunity at the guard position as well.

Practice squad-type guys such as Tashawn Manning, Andrew Stueber, Andrew Coker, Devin Cochran, and possibly even UDFA center Seth McLaughlin will likely be asked to provide some type of position versatility in the off chance that they are needed this upcoming season.

If I were to predict the starting guards today, I would expect rookie third-rounder Dylan Fairchild to win the starting left guard job, and I believe right guard will come down to three players: rookie fifth-round pick Jalen Rivers, veteran Cody Ford, and Cordell Volson, who’s going into year four.

To say the position group is confusing would be an understatement, as it’s full of uncertainty, but it’s definitely fun to look forward to and hope for upside, as opposed to the last few seasons where it seems like fans almost expected bad guard play.