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Cincinnati Bengals Linebacker Nominated For Weekly NFL Award

A strong start to the rookie's career.
Russell Heltman|
Aug 7, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. (44) walks off the field at halftime against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Aug 7, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. (44) walks off the field at halftime against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

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Cincinnati Bengals

CINCINNATI — Only a game into the NFL season, and Cincinnati already has a Pepsi Rookie of the Week candidate. Bengals linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. is nominated for his strong performance against the Browns.

He posted 10 tackles and a pass breakup against Cleveland in the 17-16 win.

Knight was a big reason Cincinnati gave up just 16 points on 327 yards allowed across 71 plays. He is nominated along with Washington running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Colts tight end Tyler Warren, Broncos running back RJ Harvey, Browns RB Dylan Sampson, and Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka.

“Yeah, very calm, collected. That's what I saw," Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said about the rookie outings on defense. "There was a time we had two young linebackers out there; two rookies out there when [Bengals LB] Logan [Wilson] came out. I'm watching just to see their body language. Didn't miss a beat. I think there are a lot of guys that fit that description. All those guys who got in there and got a chance to play. It was not too big for any of them. That's why they're here, because they're all built like that. And so we're going to have to call on all these guys as the season progresses.”

You can vote for Knight here as he looks to snag his first rookie honor as early as possible.

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Russ Heltman
RUSSELL HELTMAN

Russ Heltman is a contributor for AllBearcats and AllBengals. He is the morning host and producer for 89.3 WMKV in Cincinnati, OH.  Russ can be found on Twitter: @RussHeltman11 or you can reach him by email at Heltmandm@yahoo.com.

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