Lost in the buzz of who got cut or stuck around and why is a simple idea — this is finally Zac Taylor’s Cincinnati Bengals squad and it’s about as young as it gets.
After cutting the roster to 53 players, it turns out the Bengals have just five players on the roster aged 30 or older. Three of those are starters on the offensive line, plus punter Kevin Huber (36) and long-snapper Clark Harris (37).
Fun wrinkle to consider too — each of those 30-or-older offensive linemen are backed up by rookies D’Ante Smith, Trey Hill and Jackson Carman.
The total tally? The Bengals have 19 first or second-year players with an average age of roughly 25. That’s a stark contrast to the tail end of the Marvin Lewis era and impressive given the number of veteran free-agent signings the team has made over the last two years.
As the Bengals build for the long-term with youth though, they’re hoping age is but a number while guys like Joe Mixon and Sam Hubbard step up as leaders in the locker room.
