Stewart still Questionable, but the Bengals' defensive line is mostly intact heading into the final camp stretch

B.J. Hill is back. That much is confirmed. The veteran defensive tackle cleared his injury designation and is active, which matters for a defensive line that spent most of July looking like it might arrive at the regular season short two of its more important pieces. Hill's return stabilizes the interior rotation alongside Jonathan Allen and Dexter Lawrence — the kind of depth that last year's defense simply did not have.

Shemar Stewart is the remaining question. The first-round pass rusher is still listed as Questionable, which is a better place than he was three weeks ago when he was carted off during the first 11-on-11 drill with a hyperextended knee, but it is not cleared. There is a difference. The Bengals got a positive update on him earlier this month, and nothing since has reversed that, but Questionable heading into the final stretch of camp is still Questionable. He has not practiced fully, and the knee is the kind of injury that tends to set its own timeline.

The broader picture is that the defensive rebuild has survived its first real scare without losing ground. Lawrence is healthy and working through camp. Hill is back. The preseason opener against Detroit went well enough that the front office has reason to feel the pieces are coming together. For a team that finished 2025 six games under .500 in large part because the defense could not hold leads the offense built, that matters more than any single camp transaction.

Stewart's status is the one thread still loose. Worth watching over the next week.