Pat Brennan

Cincinnati Enquirer

June 10, 2026 Updated June 11, 2026, 9:04 a.m. ET

• Rookie Bengals LB's Barrett Carter, Demetrius Knight Jr. reflect on challenging rookie seasons

• Both players struggled at times in 2025 but already see the potential for better in 2026

The year-over-year growth for Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Barrett Carter is evidenced in his improved quality of life away from the game.

Thrust into a prominent role in the Bengals' already-struggling defense during the 2025 season, Carter wore the anxieties that came with the nature of his job. Carter rates himself as a smart player, and so do others, but the Bengals' scheme was admittedly difficult for him to learn.

"I vividly remember, after practice I would go home so stressed," Carter said. "Obviously, I knew what my responsibility was on certain plays, but I didn't know it. Like, I didn't have it like the back of my hand like I do now. Thinking about that and thinking about where I am now, it's truly night and day. I'm just trying to keep building on that, keep developing and keep learning.

"Your rookie year is your longest year of your life, so coming in, it was a lot. I was drinking from a fire hose every single day. Just learn what I can, learn every single day."

Demetrius Knight Jr., a fellow Bengals rookie linebacker, had many of the same experiences as Carter, and he used the same phrase − "night and day difference" − to compare his current comfort level to his first year in the NFL.

"I know what to expect. I know the playbook," Knight said. "When you get here as a rookie, you're trying to not roll with the punches but you're trying to make sure you're good for that day. Now, I can understand what's going on today, what's going on tomorrow, what we put in last week... Just being at home."

By now, the Bengals' rollercoaster ride at the linebacker position in 2025 is well-documented: Carter and Knight, the team's two freshly-drafted rookies, were thrust into starting roles, and Logan Wilson, a captain at the position, was traded midseason. And with the absence of Wilson, plus increased playing time for the rookies, came the growing pains for Carter and Knight.

All of those moves, and the implementation of two rookies starting in particular, were part of a plan. As of early June and organized team activities, Carter and Knight are big pieces of that ongoing plan, and still viewed as anchors at linebacker. To that end, they're also seen as important parts of a defense that was revamped in the offseason via free agency.

With training camp looming, it won't be long until there's a better assessment of whether the team steered Carter and Knight on good paths for the future, but both players already feel like they're in better positions to contribute in 2026.

Knight finished 2025 with 58 solo tackles, three sacks, a forced fumbled and two interceptions. Carter compiled 53 solo tackles and an interception. As defensive coordinator Al Golden has suggested several times, 2025 might end up looking like fertile ground on which to build and launch their NFL careers, and their respective statistics support that.

Why would Year 2 be better than Year 1 for these two players? Aside from the individual growth they described, the aforementioned free-agency additions figure to boost the entire unit, Knight contended. That's the nature of building a sound defense.

"The help that you bring to surround Barrett and I, both up front and behind us, only helps elevate out play," Knight said.

It will be weeks before we see Bengals players wearing pads and helmets, and even longer than that until we see them hitting players on other teams. For now, it's fair to remain skeptical of the positive quotes coming out of Paycor Stadium because the words will have to be supported by on-field action soon enough.

The stories of Carter and Knight are relatable and convincing. They were keenly aware of the defensive struggles at-large, as well as their roles in it. But their careers, and the Bengals' 2026 season, don't have to be defined by what transpired a year ago.

"I would not trade that year for the world," Carter said. "I hate how it went and I hate how we left a lot of plays out there and we could have been so much better but I know who us as a group, me individually, me and 'D-Knight,' us as a linebacker core, we're gonna be so much stronger because of it. So strong."

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nfl/bengals/2026/06/10/barrett-carter-demetrius-knight-jr-confident-for-bengals/90484702007/

Can we all at least agree that the two LB’s can’t be worse than last season?

I just want to see these guys actually tackle. When you hit 'em, bring 'em down. Don't bounce off and leave it to someone else. We won't know if this has improved until the games start

On 6/11/2026 at 7:22 AM, I_C_Deadpeople said:

Can we all at least agree that the two LB’s can’t be worse than last season?

Oh, no - not falling for that again. I thought the defense couldn't get any worse after firing Lou. They managed to become one of the worst defenses ever seen on an NFL field.

They may be better, but they could always be worse.

4 hours ago, T-Dub said:

Oh, no - not falling for that again. I thought the defense couldn't get any worse after firing Lou. They managed to become one of the worst defenses ever seen on an NFL field.

They may be better, but they could always be worse.

How could they be worse than last season?

You've watched the moves they've made.

Almost historical changes for the family.

How much can Golden get out of them or how much will they get out him?

16 hours ago, claptonrocks said:

How could they be worse than last season?

You've watched the moves they've made.

Almost historical changes for the family.

How much can Golden get out of them or how much will they get out him?

instead of the worst part of a terrible defense they could be the weak link holding back an otherwise average defense. playing like shit doesnt matter as much when everyone around them are also playing like shit. even if theyre not worse individually the stakes are probably going to be higher if they fail.

5 hours ago, T-Dub said:

instead of the worst part of a terrible defense they could be the weak link holding back an otherwise average defense. playing like shit doesnt matter as much when everyone around them are also playing like shit. even if theyre not worse individually the stakes are probably going to be higher if they fail.

Even though they didn't add technically add to the LB room this offseason, they did bring in several impact players to assume certain LB roles. Howell is listed as a small DE at 6-3, 255, but his body type is no accident. Golden says that Howell can be a 4-2 edge, an outside linebacker in a bigger front (five defensive linemen) or a dropper into coverage. Instead of Knight being out of position and lining up on the edge in 2026, the Bengals can smoothly slot Howell into that position and benefit from having a SAM linebacker who can still get after the QB.

Kyle Dugger is a big safety at 6-2, 220 pounds. He has experience playing LB, strong safety, free safety and even nickel corner (doubt if he will be asked to cover a small slot WR this year though.) His role will likely depend on the type and number of TEs the opposition uses in their offense. So much of what Golden is trying to do with Howell/Dugger is to limit mismatches with inline and slot TEs. If Golden is trying to match up against a 260 lb Sample TE type, then Howell might be across from him. If they are going up against a Gesicki style of TE, then Dugger would likely be the matchup counter.

If the offense employs a smaller shifty slot WR, then maybe it will be Jalen Davis in as a nickel corner. If the opponent uses an oversized WR3 like Iosivas/Cobie Young, then maybe the oversized 6-4, 195 lb Tacario Davis is in the game. Golden has already said that TDavis might be used as a rookie in this role.

There will likely be some situations where only one of Knight/Carter are on the field at the same time. The traditional LB roles are slowly being deemphasized all over the NFL.

3 hours ago, dex said:

Even though they didn't add technically add to the LB room this offseason, they did bring in several impact players to assume certain LB roles. Howell is listed as a small DE at 6-3, 255, but his body type is no accident. Golden says that Howell can be a 4-2 edge, an outside linebacker in a bigger front (five defensive linemen) or a dropper into coverage. Instead of Knight being out of position and lining up on the edge in 2026, the Bengals can smoothly slot Howell into that position and benefit from having a SAM linebacker who can still get after the QB.

Kyle Dugger is a big safety at 6-2, 220 pounds. He has experience playing LB, strong safety, free safety and even nickel corner (doubt if he will be asked to cover a small slot WR this year though.) His role will likely depend on the type and number of TEs the opposition uses in their offense. So much of what Golden is trying to do with Howell/Dugger is to limit mismatches with inline and slot TEs. If Golden is trying to match up against a 260 lb Sample TE type, then Howell might be across from him. If they are going up against a Gesicki style of TE, then Dugger would likely be the matchup counter.

If the offense employs a smaller shifty slot WR, then maybe it will be Jalen Davis in as a nickel corner. If the opponent uses an oversized WR3 like Iosivas/Cobie Young, then maybe the oversized 6-4, 195 lb Tacario Davis is in the game. Golden has already said that TDavis might be used as a rookie in this role.

There will likely be some situations where only one of Knight/Carter are on the field at the same time. The traditional LB roles are slowly being deemphasized all over the NFL.

not wrong about their roles being versatile & all that but asking rookies to fix what's broken hasn't paid off very well.

20 hours ago, T-Dub said:

not wrong about their roles being versatile & all that but asking rookies to fix what's broken hasn't paid off very well.

A single rookie. That’s it.

And I really don’t think he’s going to be asked to “fix” anything.

1 hour ago, spicoli said:

A single rookie. That’s it.

And I really don’t think he’s going to be asked to “fix” anything.

after fielding one of the worst LB groups ever I think it's fair to call it "broken". They don't need to turn into Pro Bowl players but they can't be anything like the same ones we saw last year, either. Not if they expect to make a run at a Super Bowl.

Hoping for a Risner type signing at LB in camp. Pretty good, not a long term solution but a pro that can play the position at a decent level consistently. No reason they can't get that done.

If they decide they need another vet LB, that shouldn’t be too hard to find. Not compared to looking for a quality OT, DT or CB. Way more demand than supply at those positions.

1 minute ago, dex said:

If they decide they need another vet LB, that shouldn’t be too hard to find. Not compared to looking for a quality OT, DT or CB. Way more demand than supply at those positions.

some decent vet is bound to find himself the odd man out on another team with depth at the position. probably more of an adjustment period at LB vs guard, though. theyre also needing leadership that they werent asking of Risner, so the sooner the better. hard to establish a role like that in the last week of camp.

I feel these two, that were thrown into the fire as rookie starters alongside each other, was a

tremendous undertaking ..

With a year of experience and understanding the schemes, their opportunities are here and now...

Signing a vet would help but these 2 are going to show out more than fans may think imo

While both guys really struggled as rookies, they also had a pretty terrible DL with literally zero pass rush, and a safety tandem that was unwatchable quite a bit last year. Tackling at every level was brutal, and by mid-season, the LB crew lost the only guy experienced in Golden’s defense in Logan Wilson, and his game had fallen off a cliff anyway. And BTW, the LB position coach and for that matter, most of the D staff, was new, too.

The defense was a isht show and Duke and company surely didn’t help things. They didn’t see the Logan show cratering so badly, they misjudged the (lack of) young talent they had up-front, and their depth signings (e.g. Burks and Slayton) didn’t bring much of anything. That said, the D did show improvement later in the year.

Yeah, I get it, they played some isht offenses, but it’s still the NFL and they didn’t stop anyone earlier in the year. Some guys played better - i.e. Murphy, Dax, Battle, and yes, the LBs improved. Faint praise, but you could see more decisiveness in the LB play.

Whether/how all that translates, we’ll see, but I expect at least a top 20 D. It will likely take some for the new guys to gel, but other than Howell, we’re talking smart vets with a lot of experience - Dexter, Allen, Cook, Mafe, Dugger. The other thing this D has that the past few years didn’t… leadership. They've brought in some high-character guys with skins on the wall - i.e. individual accolades, playoff experience, SB wins… who know what it takes and can model that for the younger guys. You pair that with emerging leaders like DJ Turner, the LBs, etc. and it’s hard for me not to get excited about what this team could accomplish on the field this fall.

51 minutes ago, texbengal said:

Whether/how all that translates, we’ll see, but I expect at least a top 20 D.

If the Bengals have a top 20 defense, they should be in the playoffs.

Even as horrible as the defense has played over the last 2 seasons, the Bengals are STILL a remarkable 12-5 when all of Burrow/Chase/Higgins have played together. The bummer with that is it only happened in half of the 34 games played over the 2 year period.

i thought i saw something out of Knight - flashes here & there. good range.

carter had the one int i think but was mostly invisible when he wasn't getting pancaked, run over, or his ankles broken.

neither one of them tackled worth a shit.

im glad theyre confident but by any objective measure they were considered 2 of the worst LBs in football last season.

team desperately needs a vet that they can rely on. confidence aint on the roster.

20 minutes ago, dex said:

If the Bengals have a top 20 defense, they should be in the playoffs.

Even as horrible as the defense has played over the last 2 seasons, the Bengals are STILL a remarkable 12-5 when all of Burrow/Chase/Higgins have played together. The bummer with that is it only happened in half of the 34 games played over the 2 year period.

Good point but I'm looking at many more games for this trio to excell.

why do they feel confident?
cause the front office didnt bother to bring anyone in to challenge them
so unless they bring someone in very soon (TC is in 10 days) Barring an injury they are almost guaranteed to be opening day starters,
period end of story..

1 hour ago, T-Dub said:

i thought i saw something out of Knight - flashes here & there. good range.

carter had the one int i think but was mostly invisible when he wasn't getting pancaked, run over, or his ankles broken.

neither one of them tackled worth a shit.

Agree that Knight didn't tackle very well as a rookie. The bitter irony is that "strong tackling" was considered one of his draft profile strengths coming out of college. Not sure why it was so bad, but is there real reason to think he won't revert back to his college reputation as a 2nd year player?

Playing Style and Strengths

Knight is recognized for his aggressive, physical style, strong tackling, and ability to read offensive schemes. He excels in gap penetration, delayed blitz timing, and pre-snap communication, making him a natural defensive signal-caller NFL DRAFT BUZZ+1.

1 hour ago, T-Dub said:

i thought i saw something out of Knight - flashes here & there. good range.

carter had the one int i think but was mostly invisible when he wasn't getting pancaked, run over, or his ankles broken.

neither one of them tackled worth a shit.

im glad theyre confident but by any objective measure they were considered 2 of the worst LBs in football last season.

team desperately needs a vet that they can rely on. confidence aint on the roster.

I thought Knight flashed more, but Carter to my eyes def looked better too. But yeah, tackling was atrocious for both. And they got exposed a lot, especially early. A lot of misdirection was used, and a lot of confusion resulted.

I think they’ll be better, but I def agree they need more. Really thought they’d get a guy in FA or via the draft, but there are still guys on the street who could help. Between quality at LB and sketchy depth at several spots, the team still has holes.

2 hours ago, texbengal said:

I thought Knight flashed more, but Carter to my eyes def looked better too. But yeah, tackling was atrocious for both. And they got exposed a lot, especially early. A lot of misdirection was used, and a lot of confusion resulted.

I think they’ll be better, but I def agree they need more. Really thought they’d get a guy in FA or via the draft, but there are still guys on the street who could help. Between quality at LB and sketchy depth at several spots, the team still has holes.

They aren't done yet.

On 7/12/2026 at 4:27 PM, texbengal said:

I thought Knight flashed more, but Carter to my eyes def looked better too. But yeah, tackling was atrocious for both. And they got exposed a lot, especially early. A lot of misdirection was used, and a lot of confusion resulted.

I think they’ll be better, but I def agree they need more. Really thought they’d get a guy in FA or via the draft, but there are still guys on the street who could help. Between quality at LB and sketchy depth at several spots, the team still has holes.

agree the starting 22 look good on paper but if depth gets tested much it could go bad in a hurry

On 7/12/2026 at 4:22 PM, dex said:

is there real reason to think he won't revert back to his college reputation as a 2nd year player?

just the usual for any rookie trying to adjust to the NFL - its not future CPAs or physical therapists he's facing now. Pretty much everyone on the field was hot shit in college.

Some guys take it to the next level and continue to excel but a lot more have already peaked and end up being average at best.