Zac Taylor Starts Final 2026 Preseason Week With Injury Updates on Dax Hill, Bryan Cook, Swing Tackle Search

The Bengals are back on the practice field this afternoon to continue 2026 training camp. Plenty of attention is on the injury list as multiple key secondary members continue building their strength back.

Zac Taylor gave the latest update on injuries to starting safety Bryan Cook and second boundary cornerback Dax Hill. Both have missed over two weeks of practice and both preseason games with the ailments.

Taylor did not commit to the two talents appearing in a practice this week, as less than three weeks remain until Week 1.

"Continuing to make progress. I won't make any promises about whether they will practice this week or not, but still encouraged with what we're seeing from those guys," Taylor said.

The Bengals backups are barrelling toward the final (and first away) preseason game of the season on Friday night in Philadelphia.

Taylor and the Bengals got some great work in last week to carry over into the final preseason game week. It won't continue with Cody Ford on the roster, as the team just cut the versatile veteran lineman during an ongoing swing tackle battle.

"I always think back to Cody. I mean, he served a lot of roles for us. A lot of times, not a lot of prep work," Taylor noted about Ford. "There were times we practiced him as a guard, and then the next week started him at tackle in games, having to block some big-time rushers in this league, and just always appreciative of the role Cody played for us, the attitude he had.

"There was never, 'Man, he practiced me at guard all week, and now I'm playing tackle. He practiced me at tackle. I'm playing guard.' There was none of that. It was just whatever I got to do to help the team. And so he's made a really strong impression on me ever since the draft process. We liked him in the draft process, and then we acquired him years later, and he gave us three good years of football. And now I wish him the best on the next part of his journey."

He did not commit to the eventual swing tackle being on the current roster.

"I think we're always open to everything," Taylor said. "These guys are really competing. I feel like I'd like to see someone grab it and us be able to say that. But certainly, with time still in the practice, we got some stuff to sort out."

The franchise practices a few days in the afternoon this week before traveling to the City of Brotherly Love on Thursday.

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