The Bengals open the preseason with a road matchup against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night at Lincoln Financial Field. The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on the Bengals Preseason TV Network (Cincinnati's FOX 19).

• Cincinnati Bengals vs. Philadelphia Eagles (Get Tickets)
• Thursday, August 5 at 7:30 p.m. ET
• Bengals Preseason TV Network (How to Watch)

Here is what to watch for:

Offseason Additions Set to Make Debut in Stripes

The Bengals' locker room has added several new faces on both sides of the ball since January, and Thursday night will be a first look in their new Cincinnati uniform.

Cincinnati's free agency acquisitions include defensive tackle T.J. Slaton Jr., linebacker Oren Burks, guard Lucas Patrick, quarterback Desmond Ridder and defensive Taven Bryan, among others.

The Bengals also welcomed back halfback Samaje Perine, who in 2025 enters his ninth NFL season and fourth overall with Cincinnati. Perine served as a valuable rotational back in his previous stint with the team from 2020-22, before moving onto Denver in 2023 and helping Kansas City capture the AFC title last year.

Slaton aims to bolster the interior of the defensive line, as the former Green Bay Packer is coming off a 2024 campaign in which he led the NFL in run stop win rate (46 percent), per ESPN.

Cincinnati's draft picks who will make their first appearance in stripes include defensive end Shemar Stewart (first round, Texas A&M), linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. (second round, South Carolina), guard Dylan Fairchild (third round, Georgia), linebacker Barrett Carter (fourth round, Clemson), offensive tackle Jalen Rivers (fifth round, Miami) and halfback Tahj Brooks (sixth round, Texas Tech).

Revamped Linebacker Room

Knight and Carter are two headliners in a linebacker position group that Cincinnati re-tooled during free agency and the draft. Both players, along with Burks, will have the opportunity to make an impact early in their Bengals tenure.

New defensive coordinator Al Golden has raved about the rookie duo so far in training camp, particularly lauding Knight's approach as a student of the game.

"He's what we thought he was," Golden said. "What you can't measure, you try to hedge, you try to place a bet. But what you can't measure is what he's doing when he's not here, and that is studying a lot, preparing at an elite level. He's a pro's pro. Every day he's the same guy. He's consistently playing at a high level. He's a big man — he's 240 pounds. He can play in the stack, he can play on the edge and he can give you some rushes. We're excited about him."

Knight and Carter join an experienced tandem in Burks and sixth-year vet Logan Wilson, who has led Cincinnati in tackles in three of the past four seasons.

Burks Returns to Philadelphia for First Time Since Super Bowl Win

After some impressive individual performances that helped the Eagles capture Super Bowl LIX, Burks returns to Philadelphia in his first preseason game with the Bengals.

Burks, who signed with Cincinnati as an unrestricted free agent in March, suited up for the Eagles in all 17-regular season games and all four postseason contests in 2024. After posting 31 defensive tackles and a team-leading 10 special teams tackles in the regular season, he ramped up his productivity in the playoffs with 24 stops (third-most on the team), three tackles for loss and two forced fumbles — both of which led to Eagles touchdowns.

Burks enters his eighth NFL season in 2025. Prior to his 2024 stint with Philadelphia, he spent time with Green Bay (2018-21) and San Francisco (2022-23). He has been a part of six playoff teams in seven seasons.

Golden's DC Debut Comes at Old Stomping Ground

Golden, who was hired as Cincinnati's defensive coordinator in January, heads into his first preseason game in the new role at a familiar stadium. He spent the 2006-10 seasons as head coach at Temple University, which played their home contests at Lincoln Financial Field. Golden went on to another head coaching stint at the University of Miami (Fla.) from 2011-15, then held NFL roles with Detroit (tight ends and linebackers coach) and Cincinnati (linebackers). His most recent stop was Notre Dame, where he built one of the nation's top defenses as the Fighting Irish's defensive coordinator over the last three years.

Golden capped off his Notre Dame tenure by helping the Irish advance to the College Football Playoff National Championship game, just a week prior to joining Zac Taylor’s staff. While in South Bend, Golden coached nine players who went on to be selected in the NFL Draft.

Bengals coaches and players have praised Golden and his defensive scheme throughout the offseason program and early parts of training camp. Offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher referred to his counterpart as "one of the most prepared, diligent coaches I've ever been around."

For sixth-year quarterback Joe Burrow, the daily battles against Golden's unit offer a challenge he embraces as he once again orchestrates a high-powered Bengals passing attack.

"They're doing a great job," Burrow said. "The young DB's are really stepping up and making things tough. Their energy, physicality and knowledge of their coverages has been top-level. That's exciting."

Burrow Expected to See "Extended Action"

While the Bengals continue to emphasize a fast start to the regular season, head coach Zac Taylor indicated that the team's starting units — including Burrow — will have a substantial snap count on Thursday night.

"He'll participate every single day like he normally would, fully healthy, and then we anticipate playing him more in preseason games than we ever have," Taylor said.

Prior to this year, Burrow had a total of eight passing attempts in the preseason. As he prepares for the first significant action of his preseason career, he has acknowledged that a healthy 2025 offseason has allowed for him to find his top form earlier than in years past.

"I think this is the best I've thrown it in several years," said Burrow on his performances during the first week of training camp.

Burrow is coming off a 2024 season that saw him lead the NFL and set Bengals single-season records in completions (460), passing yards (4,918) and touchdown passes (43). He earned his second career Pro Bowl selection and was named the AP Comeback Player of the Year.

Brown Family Reunion, Part II

Identical twins Chase Brown (Bengals halfback) and Sydney Brown (Eagles safety) face off for the second time in their NFL careers in this week's preseason matchup. The former teammates at the University of Illinois first met at the pro level in Week 8 of last season at Paycor Stadium.

Both players compiled decorated careers for the Fighting Illini. Chase rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his final two seasons (2021-22), and in '22 was an AP second-team All-American and became the first finalist for the Doak Walker Award (nation's top running back) in program history. That year, his career-high 1,643 rushing yards ranked fourth in the country.

Sydney capped his Illinois career in 2022 by leading the Big Ten in interceptions (six; third in nation), earning first-team All-Big Ten honors and USA Today second-team All-America status.

Now entering their third NFL season, the Brown twins both look to take a leap. Chase opened training camp as Cincinnati's undisputed lead halfback for the first time in his career. Sydney, who last season returned to action after recovering from a knee injury, aims to re-enter the starting lineup for the first time since his 2023 rookie campaign.

Check out the Bengals 2025 Schedule.