Bengals DB Daijahn Anthony shines, battles broken nose

The NFL preseason is well underway and the Cincinnati Bengals have already begun preparing for the Chicago Bears on Saturday at Soldier Field.

After losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday night, fans of the franchise got a glimpse of the youth talent this team has accumulated. Especially on the defensive side.

In what was a defensive stalemate for most of the game against the Bucs, it was several rookies who stood out in their first NFL action. Maema Njongmeta was voted MVP on that side of the ball for defending Lou Anarumo, but rookie safety Daijahn Anthony also stood out.

Anthony finished the game with three tackles, but it was perhaps an injury he suffered that most highlighted the tenacity he displayed… a broken nose.

It doesn’t seem like the prettiest scene either, according to head coach Zac Taylor.

“You saw the blood spurting out, so I’m sure it was pretty painful, but it looks like he’ll be able to train and get through it with a visor and face mask.”

Additionally, Anthony earned a solid 70.8 overall grade in Pro Football and a team-best 83.1 tackle grade. It’s easy to remember all the missed tackles the Bengals defense faced last season, so this is a great sight to see.

Anthony, a seventh-round pick out of Ole Miss in the 2024 NFL Draft, is part of a safety room that has plenty of options he could use on the field this season. With Jordan Battle, Geno Stone, Vonn Bell and others battling for snaps, if Anthony continues to impress throughout this preseason, he could see himself working on the field in some capacity this season.

A broken nose sucks, but I’m glad to see he’ll be able to play with it and face the Bears this weekend.

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