Bengals call a big audible on key depth roster battle

The Cincinnati Bengals switched up on Jalen Rivers in a hurry. 

Rivers, a fifth-round pick by the Bengals in 2025, swapped positions to guard last summer and stuck around, then found himself in quotes from head coach Zac Taylor about how he’s going to stay there, and for good reason. 

But now Rivers is back at offensive tackle. 

Call it a byproduct of the coaching staff not liking what it sees from the original backup battle that includes the likes of Cody Ford and Andre Coker. 

Ford, at least for now, has been working at guard, while Rivers himself has had some solid showings in practice lately as the backup left tackle. 

Rivers is more than capable of playing any spot on the line and would appear to have a 53 spot locked down. Where on the 53 will come down to how he and others play, plus whether the front office brings in other players before the regular season. 

Like third running back and third wideout, though, that backup swing tackle spot looked like it could be up for grabs this summer. That’s turned out to be true, with Rivers the new leader in the clubhouse. 

This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals call a big audible on key depth roster battle