The Cincinnati Bengals ended the preseason with two candidates to become their primary backup swing offensive tackle. They increased that number to four following roster cuts.

Myles Hinton, claimed off waivers, and Blake Freeland, signed to the practice squad, gives the Bengals double the swings to pick one of the most reserve roles on the roster. Javon Foster and Jalen Rivers have each been in the building going back to last year, and neither solidified himself as the guy during preseason action.

Coach Zac Taylor has made clear he’s in no rush to name a winner. The competition will last as long as it needs to, though there is a potential deadline to note. Brian Parker II can come off Injured Reserve as early as Week 5, and activating him would require removing a player from the roster. It will likely be an offensive lineman that gets the boot if the group of 10 on the active roster is completely healthy. That lineman could be the player they’re least confident can be the swing tackle.

Whatever the timeline truly is, it’s worth resetting the competition and breaking down the pros and cons of Foster, Rivers, Hinton, or Freeland seizing the role.

Javon Foster has the head start

If the Bengals had to play tomorrow, Foster would likely be the first backup offensive tackle off the bench. He looked the best out of all their options during the preseason, playing left tackle throughout the final week of the preseason in both practice and the game itself. He wasn’t spectacular by any means, and that’s part of why this job remains very much up for grabs.

Foster has been in the scheme for a full year after joining the practice squad last September, giving him a head start on the competition. He’s received a year of coaching from offensive line coach Scott Peters, and he brings good size at roughly 6-5, 319 pounds to hold up against power rushers.

The counter is that Foster is not the best athlete in this group. He gets exposed against speed and bend around the edge, and his kick slide speed isn’t where it needs to be for a tackle who could be called upon at any moment. The former fourth-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars has also never played a regular snap, which is a legitimate concern heading into Week 1.

Jalen Rivers may be better suited inside

Rivers was Foster’s primary competition during the preseason. Like Foster, he has a year in the system as the Bengals’ fifth-round pick from last year’s draft 2025. Unlike Foster, Rivers has played in regular season games. He started a decent portion of last season at right guard and logged significant snaps, so there’s at least some level of trust in him handling real game situations.

Including Rivers in this group may be more of a courtesy than a reflection of reality. Cincinnati tried him at tackle last offseason and quickly moved him inside to guard. His brief second attempt at finding a role on the edge didn’t amount to anything, so he’s probably going to stay inside for good now. His lack of movement ability just gets him exposed too often.

The evidence after two offseasons and two training camps suggests Rivers shouldn’t be a real factor in this competition. He is the only one the Bengals drafted though, and for that reason, there may still be an incentive to find a worthy return on investment.

Myles Hinton brings elite traits

Hinton arrived Monday as a waiver claim from the Philadelphia Eagles, who drafted him in the sixth round last year. He spent all of last season on injured reserve with a back injury, which is part of his history and something the Bengals need to acknowledge.

Hinton’s traits, however, are tantalizing. At 6-6, 342 pounds, he has Cincy’s preferred size at the tackle position and is a much better athlete than both Foster and Rivers. A former five-star recruit who played at Stanford before transferring to Michigan, Hinton started big-time games primarily at left tackle but has experience taking pass sets from the right side. He also spent his rookie year under Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, who was arguably the best offensive line coach in the NFL before leaving Philadelphia after last season.

The concern with Hinton is his technique. His hand usage needs refinement, and he sometimes misses his landmarks in pass protection. The Bengals are banking on traits here, and they need Peters to teach him his “Strike System” to clean things up. If Hinton develops quickly under Peters, his athleticism could give him the upper hand in this competition.

Blake Freeland has experience and upside

Freeland signed to the practice squad and is the most experienced player in this group. A fourth-round pick out of BYU in 2023, Freeland is a tremendous athlete at 6-8, 305 pounds, so he has a bit of a slight frame. He was a rookie starter for the Indianapolis Colts, playing both left and right tackle across multiple games, which gives him more regular season experience than any of the other candidates for the position.

His rookie season was also rocky, particularly in pass protection, and he spent all of last year on injured reserve with a leg injury. His preseason tape this year was so-so, and the Colts opted to move on with a year left on his contract. Still, his plus movement skills are on par with Hinton’s, and at 25 years old, there’s genuine upside remaining. The Bengals identified him and brought him in for a reason.

Who will come out on top?

I think both Freeland and Hinton have just as good of a chance to win this battle as Foster does, despite Foster’s head start. Foster looked relatively the best in a Bengals uniform at backup offensive tackle during the preseason, and that’s why he’s probably in line for the role in Week 1. By the middle of the season, I wouldn’t be surprised if either Freeland or Hinton was the guy. I also wouldn’t be surprised if neither was still in the building at that point. Their individual progress will be critical.

My gut feeling is Hinton gets a chance since he’s already on the active roster, and may have the highest ceiling now that he is in trustworthy hands with Peters.

The Bengals have given themselves four options to choose from this season. Hopefully none of them are called upon for significant snaps, but recent history has shown how important a quality backup tackle can be.

The competition is just getting started. May the best backup win.