# John Breech: The piece reports that Cincinnati is committing to second-year players Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight as its starting linebackers in 2026, and says early camp returns suggest the gamble may work. It also hedges that Shemar Stewart could return by Week 1 and that Andrei Iosivas' familiarity may help him hold the No. 3 receiver job. **Claimed:** Jul 30, 2026 **Pundit:** John Breech — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/john-breech **Outlet:** CBS Sports — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/cbs-sports **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/bengals-training-camp-takeaways-shemar-stewart-injury/ 2 checkable claims — 2 depth chart calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 2 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. > The Bengals doubled down and made it clear that Carter and Knight would be their starting linebackers in 2026. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Demetrius Knight Jr. to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Demetrius Knight Jr. - Verdict: not settled yet - **Barrett Carter to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Barrett Carter - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Demetrius Knight Jr. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/demetrius-knight-jr - Barrett Carter — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/barrett-carter ## What others said about the same people - Lance Zierlein on Demetrius Knight Jr.: Zierlein raised his draft evaluations after Thursday's workouts: Oklahoma linebacker Danny Stutsman moved into his top 100, South Carolina's Demetrius Knight could be the first inside linebacker drafted, and Caine Medrano went from undrafted to draftable on his board. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/666b39d1-938a-496f-a857-b0e4ba69ca23 (scored 50) - Kyle Crabbs on Barrett Carter: Crabbs projects all seven rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, starting with Cam Ward going No. 1 overall to Tennessee, Travis Hunter second to Cleveland and Abdul Carter third to the Giants. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/e8a40874-e85c-44ec-a4c8-b6f0edbd22d2 (scored 91.7) - Jay Morrison on Barrett Carter: Following the preseason opener against Detroit, Morrison updated his Cincinnati Bengals 53-man roster projection, naming starters and backups at every position group and identifying which players are on the bubble. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/f0a72a3d-7feb-4331-bc2c-8f92d529d752 (not settled) ## More depth chart calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Fox Sports on Michael Penix Jr.: Fox Sports states that a healthy Tua Tagovailoa will serve as Atlanta's backup quarterback in Week 3, with Michael Penix Jr. handling the starting duties against Green Bay. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/a90e69a8-707f-43e9-a63e-cdb3e7bd0829 (scored 100) - Pat Fitzmaurice on Aaron Jones: In previewing the 10 most intriguing fantasy performers of Week 2, Fitzmaurice expects Atlanta's quarterback problems to persist with Tua Tagovailoa unlikely to play and Michael Penix Jr. not ready to return, flags Falcons slot corner Billy Bowman Jr. as a possible Week 2 returnee, and describes Aaron Jones as Minnesota's lead back and Kaelon Black as the clear backup to Christian McCaffrey in San Francisco. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/31adc8bb-8f15-453f-bbcf-cab44e29b8b3 (scored 100) - Matt Severance on Deshaun Watson: The CBS Sports preview backs Tampa Bay to beat Cleveland in the Bucs' Week 2 home opener, and states that Deshaun Watson — not Shedeur Sanders — will be Cleveland's starting quarterback in Week 2. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/944568ce-7205-409f-8354-a392016fd8bf (scored 100) - Rafael Zamorano on Deshaun Watson: Zamorano reports Watson will start Week 2 at Tampa Bay and suggests there's little reason to expect improvement, raising the possibility Watson's five-year contract never yields more than single-digit wins. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/d7d7e0a2-61e0-4525-970b-b01a2356f11b (scored 100) - Rich Hribar on Tua Tagovailoa: Hribar expects Tua Tagovailoa to be Atlanta's starting quarterback for Week 2 while Michael Penix stays out, with Penix's return closer to Week 4. He is unenthusiastic about the Falcons' offense either way and treats Bryce Young as a fringe fantasy starter. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/124ac755-a942-4382-8bad-177da7f8170d (scored 0) - Bradley Locker on Carson Wentz: PFF's unsigned adjusted power rankings after Week 1 of the 2026 season place the Bills first, the Rams second and the Dolphins last, with notes on quarterback situations in Seattle, Minnesota and Cleveland. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/a3716f21-0488-4fc8-a414-c25c2d781a6e (scored 100) --- Accuracy is 0-100 against what actually happened. The naive guess is what a strategy requiring no knowledge would have scored on the same call — the difference is the skill, and it is what the MissedTakes Score averages. Full method: https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/methodology We summarize what a pundit said and quote a short span for attribution; we never republish their article. If this is wrong, tell us: https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/corrections?pundit=john-breech