# 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.co/pundits/john-breech **Outlet:** CBS Sports — https://missedtakes.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 - **Barrett Carter to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Barrett Carter - Verdict: not settled yet - **Demetrius Knight Jr. to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Demetrius Knight Jr. - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Barrett Carter — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/barrett-carter - Demetrius Knight Jr. — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/demetrius-knight-jr ## What others said about the same people - 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.co/opinions/e8a40874-e85c-44ec-a4c8-b6f0edbd22d2 (scored 91.7) - 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.co/opinions/666b39d1-938a-496f-a857-b0e4ba69ca23 (scored 50) - 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.co/opinions/f0a72a3d-7feb-4331-bc2c-8f92d529d752 (not settled) ## More depth chart calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Carter Bahns on Shedeur Sanders: Bahns calls it reality that Shedeur Sanders will take over as Cleveland's starting quarterback by Week 4, with Deshaun Watson set to fail. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/18802de8-941e-4551-b6e3-df7a752020b6 (scored 0) - Carter Bahns on Shedeur Sanders: A CBS Sports preseason overreaction column argues Shedeur Sanders will take over as Cleveland's starting quarterback by Week 4, that Ja'Kobi Lane has a real path to a No. 2 receiver role as a rookie, and that Kenneth Walker III is a legitimate lead back atop the Chiefs' depth chart. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/e82d31e3-169f-4419-a38c-ceaaa1d053a7 (scored 0) - Garrett Podell on Case Keenum: Podell ranks all 32 current NFL starting quarterbacks entering Week 3 of the 2026 season, with Josh Allen first, Patrick Mahomes second and Case Keenum last. He also expects Kyler Murray and Michael Penix Jr. to return to action in Week 3 and Case Keenum to possibly start for the Bears. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/0e92b59e-0dd1-43c3-80c1-6551a8b641ac (scored 100) - Fox Sports on Case Keenum: A roundup of NFC injury news expects Jameis Winston to start for the Giants in any games Jaxson Dart misses, and suggests third-stringer Case Keenum could end up starting for the Bears against the Eagles in Week 3 with both Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent sidelined. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3aff6d9f-b997-480e-b323-740b6a4677ed (scored 100) - Fox Sports on Case Keenum: With Caleb Williams injured and Tyson Bagent in concussion protocol, third-string quarterback Case Keenum is expected to start for the Bears against the Eagles in Week 3. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/7726bb2f-b9aa-4c35-aa7b-e0b49990e867 (scored 100) - Pat Fitzmaurice on Jonah Coleman: In his Week 3 waiver column, Fitzmaurice makes several depth-chart calls around injuries: Jonah Coleman leading Denver's backfield, Marcus Mariota taking over in Washington, Michael Penix Jr. starting once healthy, and Malik Washington serving as Miami's top receiver, plus availability expectations for Detroit's injured safeties. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/2cbd48f6-15ea-4aa5-84bc-bcc50d94d09a (scored 0) --- 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.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.co/corrections?pundit=john-breech