It was another beautiful day downtown as the Cincinnati Bengals returned to training camp at the Kettering Health practice fields next to PayCor Stadium.
While the defense has had an eye-catching camp so far, the offense took back some of the headlines on Aug. 3.
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Here are The Enquirer’s notes and observations from Day Nine of training camp.
Tanner Hudson makes two big plays
With Mike Gesicki absent, Hudson became the primary option at tight end. He made the most of his day on the first team’s second drive.
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He caught two passes in the span of four plays. The first got the offense into the red zone. The second catch was a touchdown over the middle that prompted a congratulatory yell from Joe Burrow. It was the offense’s first touchdown since Thursday.
Tight end Tanner Hudson had two timely catches during Cincinnati Bengals training camp on August 3, 2025.
Both the first team and second team offense had one of their better days in training camp. Defensive coordinator Al Golden spoke after practice about how his defense has progressed through nine practices, but also about Burrow’s poise.
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“Man, he is so poised on the line of scrimmage. He doesn’t do anything fast. He tries to manipulate either the cadence, to see a skew of some skid, some kind of pre-snap tell. And he has so many answers. The one thing that is underrated is some of those balls, if you were here last night, some of those touch throws, the overs, just incredible throws. Guys are draped on (the receiver) and the ball can only be caught if it’s in one spot,” Golden said.
The defense was without three first-team defensive backs on Sunday. Marco Wilson is still out with a “week-to-week” injury, Dax Hill is still working his way back from a torn ACL, and Cam Taylor-Britt missed his third straight practice. Without getting into specifics, Golden said he expects Taylor-Britt to return soon.
Amarius Mims returns to the field
The second-year offensive lineman had pads on for the first time since Wednesday. He had been dealing with an undisclosed ailment to his right hand and forearm.
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“Everybody hates to miss days. I never want to see another man take my workload during practice, but sometimes it happens. Going forward, I’m gonna do the best I can to bet back to 100 percent,” Mims said.
He said he plans on taking the field with the starters for the Bengals’ first preseason game on Aug. 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Amarius Mims returned to Bengals training camp after missing two days with an undisclosed injury.
Running with the first team at right tackle with Lucas Patrick at right guard, Mims was matched up against Kris Jenkins, Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart at various points in the second half of practice.
“No matter who it is, I feel like the guys understand the plan and know what they’re doing. They’re executing very well and I’m very proud of the defensive side of the ball,” Mims said.
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After the first team went three-and-out on the first drive, they found the end zone on each of their three ensuing trips down the field. With the exception of one Jenkins breakthrough, the offensive line kept Joe Burrow unbothered in the pocket.
“Of course we’re gonna be excited because we know that our work allows (touchdowns) to happen,” Mims said.
Play of the day: Isaiah Williams snags a touchdown
On one of the final drives of the day, the second team had a first down at the 15-yard line.
Jake Browning took the snap and rolled to his left as wide receiver Williams worked his way across the field in the opposite direction. With Stewart bearing down on him, Browning threw back across his body, finding Williams for a contested grab over Shaka Heyward on the right side of the end zone.
“I was selling like I was gonna block the end, so my biggest thing is to sell the decoy like I’m just blocking, then at the last minute turn up. I saw how the ball was thrown and I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m gonna go make a play on this.’ He trusted me and gave me an opportunity. I’m gonna go make a play for him,” Williams said.
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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Observations from Day Nine of Cincinnati Bengals training camp