These guys struggled in Cincinnati’s first exhibition.

Some players on the Cincinnati Bengals’ roster were able to use the team’s 17-14 preseason-opening loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to boost their own stock. Unfortunately, the exact opposite occurred for some other players, who struggled against the Bucs, for once reason or another. Here’s a look at three Bengals players whose stock is plummeting after the team’s preseason opener.

Jake Browning, Quarterback

Jake Browning isn’t in danger of losing his role as backup quarterback on the Bengals yet, as he bought himself some with his solid play when Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury last season. But, Burrow had a very rough game against Tampa Bay.

Burrow played just one drive in the game against the Bucs, and after he subbed out, Browning went in. During his time on the field, Browning went 10-for-18 for just 52 yards and an interception. In short, it was probably a performance that the quarterback will want to forget.

Meanwhile, third-stringer Logan Woodside turned in a much better performance. He went 8-for-12 for 149 yards and had an impressive touchdown toss to rookie receiver Jermaine Burton. Woodside finished the game with an impressive quarterback rating of 137.2.

Browning isn’t going to lose his spot after one bad game, but if this is a trend that continues throughout preseason, it could become a louder conversation.

Jackson Carman, Offensive tackle

To say that Jackson Carman struggled against Tampa Bay would be an understatement. The fourth-year offensive lineman was consistently beat off the line and was flagged for holding on multiple occasions as a result. He was also whistled for a false start when the Bengals were backed up against the end zone. Carman’s miscues from the contest were compiled into a clip by Warren Sharp, which you can see below:

Jackson Carman Preseason Week 1 pic.twitter.com/QEB5J1jD0N

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) August 11, 2024

It would be one thing if it were a rookie making all of these mistakes in a preseason game, but the Bengals drafted Carman in 2021, and he’s appeared in 22 games (with six starts) during his time with the team. Yes, it’s preseason play, but there’s no excuse for an experienced player to make so many egregious mistakes in one game. Carman’s performance against Tampa Bay was concerning, to say the least.

Chris Evans, Running back

Chris Evans becoming a a regular piece of Cincinnati’s backfield rotation just might not happen. The Bengals are bringing Zack Moss and Chase Brown into the regular season as their top two backs, and against Tampa Bay, Trayveon Williams got more carries than Evans, which could suggest he’s third on the depth chart at this point in time.

Evans received just one carry in the game, and he gained just one yard. He did catch two passes, but gained only eight total yards on those plays. Meanwhile, Williams also had two catches, but his pair went for 24 total yards. Special teams is where Evans was most impactful. He returned three kicks for 82 yards, including a 37-yard return. Perhaps that’s where he’ll be able to make his mark for the Bengals in 2024.