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Barrett Carter would have preferred a better rookie season, but the Cincinnati Bengals second-year linebacker said he wouldn’t trade the experience for anything now.
The 2025 fourth-round draft pick struggled last season starting alongside fellow rookie Demetrius Knight Jr.; however, Carter said he learned a great deal from those reps. That has enabled him to come into his second training camp exuding confidence.
Bengals radio play-by-play announcer Dan Hoard described him as having a strut to his step. Carter laughed but didn’t disagree.
“At the end of the day, it’s the same Barrett that they brought in last year, but it’s my second year in this defense, second year in the NFL, so, I just feel so confident,” Carter said. “And you can say what you want about the season last year, about how we played, all that, but it made us so much stronger, not just physically, but mentally. We were through the ringer. We were going through it. Truthfully, it was tough, but how we feel right now mentally, it was so worth it. I wouldn’t change last year for anything.”
Carter was thrust into a starting role in Week 6 of his rookie season, joining Knight Jr., who was starting alongside veteran Logan Wilson to open the year. The Bengals weren’t getting what they needed from Wilson and knew it was a lot to expect better from two rookies playing together, but they felt it was better for the long term to speed up their development.
Opposing teams took advantage and picked apart the middle of the Bengals’ defense. Cincinnati stuck with the plan and hopes to reap the reward in 2026. It’s still early in camp, but the linebackers are showing flashes.
Bengals coach Zac Taylor said he expects more from his young linebackers because the ability to diagnose an offensive scheme and alignments is “so much faster” for a second-year player than a rookie. It takes experience to get there, and Carter and Knight have that now.
“Being able to be a step faster will help you be a better tackler in space when you’re there faster because you recognize things before they even happen, and I think any linebacker … experience takes over,” Taylor said. “And those guys are only going to improve as their football IQ continues to improve and they see more and more offense. I’m really excited about the step that they can take in training camp.”
Now it’s showing up early in training camp – before, during and after plays. Carter has had a few standout moments, and he hasn’t been shy about celebrating. On Thursday, he had a blitz to set up Knight’s interception of Joe Burrow, but he also blew up a screen pass to Chase Brown. On Saturday, he got to Burrow for what counts as a “half-sack” in camp without tackling.
“This game is going to be a lot of eye candy, a lot of misdirection, things to mess with your eyes and try to get you to go other places, but you know, I saw something, so I just trusted my instincts and trusted my eyes and just went to go make the play,” Carter said. “So, then after, you just gotta celebrate. Like I said, it’s a child’s game, I’m living my dream. So, I was too timid last year. Like if a play was made, I need to be up and screaming and pushing and headbutting. Like that’s the Barrett that I’ve been for my whole life. And I need to get back to that Barrett. I need to get back to that passion, that energy I’ve always had.”
The Bengals want to practice like they are preparing for a Super Bowl, bringing “that edge every single day,” Carter said.
It’s not always easy to change the mentality after a bad season, like the Bengals’ 6-11 finish last year, but it shifted with the help of offseason investments into the defense. The linebackers specifically received a vote of confidence from the organization, when Cincinnati didn’t make any big moves to improve the position.
Knight said that was big for him and Carter. He naturally feels more confident this year after having a full season to get to know the system, his teammates and coaches and the difference of playing at the NFL level.
“Going in as a rookie last year, I’m just trying to do my job at that point,” Knight said. “I’m not trying to do any extra. I had Logan Wilson next to me, and I’m just trying to listen to what he’s saying, pretty much, and know what my 1/11 is. Now in Year 2, it’s reading the book a second time. So, you pick up stuff that you didn’t see because you have a year under your belt. You understand what’s going on, and you’re able to play to those levels into the defense.”
Knight had a good read on Burrow’s pass intended for Ja’Marr Chase, which resulted in the first interception of camp on Day 2.
He said he was staying away from Burrow for a bit after that because he could see how frustrated he was. That’s what he hopes to do to opposing offenses this season.
Continue reading...
The 2025 fourth-round draft pick struggled last season starting alongside fellow rookie Demetrius Knight Jr.; however, Carter said he learned a great deal from those reps. That has enabled him to come into his second training camp exuding confidence.
Bengals radio play-by-play announcer Dan Hoard described him as having a strut to his step. Carter laughed but didn’t disagree.
“At the end of the day, it’s the same Barrett that they brought in last year, but it’s my second year in this defense, second year in the NFL, so, I just feel so confident,” Carter said. “And you can say what you want about the season last year, about how we played, all that, but it made us so much stronger, not just physically, but mentally. We were through the ringer. We were going through it. Truthfully, it was tough, but how we feel right now mentally, it was so worth it. I wouldn’t change last year for anything.”
Carter was thrust into a starting role in Week 6 of his rookie season, joining Knight Jr., who was starting alongside veteran Logan Wilson to open the year. The Bengals weren’t getting what they needed from Wilson and knew it was a lot to expect better from two rookies playing together, but they felt it was better for the long term to speed up their development.
Opposing teams took advantage and picked apart the middle of the Bengals’ defense. Cincinnati stuck with the plan and hopes to reap the reward in 2026. It’s still early in camp, but the linebackers are showing flashes.
Bengals coach Zac Taylor said he expects more from his young linebackers because the ability to diagnose an offensive scheme and alignments is “so much faster” for a second-year player than a rookie. It takes experience to get there, and Carter and Knight have that now.
“Being able to be a step faster will help you be a better tackler in space when you’re there faster because you recognize things before they even happen, and I think any linebacker … experience takes over,” Taylor said. “And those guys are only going to improve as their football IQ continues to improve and they see more and more offense. I’m really excited about the step that they can take in training camp.”
Now it’s showing up early in training camp – before, during and after plays. Carter has had a few standout moments, and he hasn’t been shy about celebrating. On Thursday, he had a blitz to set up Knight’s interception of Joe Burrow, but he also blew up a screen pass to Chase Brown. On Saturday, he got to Burrow for what counts as a “half-sack” in camp without tackling.
“This game is going to be a lot of eye candy, a lot of misdirection, things to mess with your eyes and try to get you to go other places, but you know, I saw something, so I just trusted my instincts and trusted my eyes and just went to go make the play,” Carter said. “So, then after, you just gotta celebrate. Like I said, it’s a child’s game, I’m living my dream. So, I was too timid last year. Like if a play was made, I need to be up and screaming and pushing and headbutting. Like that’s the Barrett that I’ve been for my whole life. And I need to get back to that Barrett. I need to get back to that passion, that energy I’ve always had.”
The Bengals want to practice like they are preparing for a Super Bowl, bringing “that edge every single day,” Carter said.
It’s not always easy to change the mentality after a bad season, like the Bengals’ 6-11 finish last year, but it shifted with the help of offseason investments into the defense. The linebackers specifically received a vote of confidence from the organization, when Cincinnati didn’t make any big moves to improve the position.
Knight said that was big for him and Carter. He naturally feels more confident this year after having a full season to get to know the system, his teammates and coaches and the difference of playing at the NFL level.
“Going in as a rookie last year, I’m just trying to do my job at that point,” Knight said. “I’m not trying to do any extra. I had Logan Wilson next to me, and I’m just trying to listen to what he’s saying, pretty much, and know what my 1/11 is. Now in Year 2, it’s reading the book a second time. So, you pick up stuff that you didn’t see because you have a year under your belt. You understand what’s going on, and you’re able to play to those levels into the defense.”
Knight had a good read on Burrow’s pass intended for Ja’Marr Chase, which resulted in the first interception of camp on Day 2.
He said he was staying away from Burrow for a bit after that because he could see how frustrated he was. That’s what he hopes to do to opposing offenses this season.
Continue reading...
