Three players to watch in Bengals' first preseason game

The Cincinnati Bengals are preparing for their first preseason action on Saturday when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

On Thursday, head coach Zac Taylor wouldn't say how long he's planning on playing his starters, but it looks like they'll play at least a little.

With that in mind, here are three Bengals to watch.

Quarterback Joe Burrow

Cincinnati will go as far as Burrow can take them (which is far), but he must be healthy to do so. That's the biggest question surrounding the 27-year-old coming off his second season-ending injury (wrist) in his short four-year NFL career.

Reports from training camp support the idea that Burrow will return to his 2021-22 form when he threw for 9,086 yards and 69 touchdowns, but he must prove it against the non-friendly competition.

It's been a rocky start to the former No. 1 overall pick's NFL career, but he can get it back on track with a good showing on Saturday, instilling confidence in him and his team that it can again contend for a Super Bowl in 2024.

Running back Chase Brown

The Bengals made the somewhat surprising decision to trade running back Joe Mixon to the Houston Texans this offseason.

While Mixon has been the subject of trade rumors for the past couple of years, it will still be difficult to replicate the production of Cincinnati's third-all-time leading rusher.

Brown and veteran running back Zack Moss, who joined the team on a two-year deal in March, will do just that. However, Brown has been reportedly getting the majority of first-team reps .

The No. 163 overall pick in 2023 didn't see the field as a rookie behind Mixon, but he made the most of his opportunities, rushing for 179 yards (4.1 yards per carry) and reeling in 14 catches for 156 yards and a touchdown.

If he picks up right where he left off, the backfield will be his to lead.

Defensive end Myles Murphy

Murphy is entering his second season in the league since the Bengals selected him with their first-round pick (No. 28) in the 2023 NFL Draft.

The 22-year-old didn't do much in his first year, registering just 20 tackles and three sacks, but he was primarily a rotational edge-rusher behind veterans Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard.

Both are still with the team, but Hendrickson missed the last week of practice due to a chest bruise, while fellow edge-rusher Cam Sample suffered a season-ending injury .

That alone will put more pressure on Murphy to step up into a larger role and reach his first-round expectations, and he must begin showing that on Saturday.