Bengals have a serious training camp battle unfolding at kicker

The Cincinnati Bengals have a good problem at the kicker position during training camp — it’s hard to tell who actually wins the job.

One would think it will be fifth-round rookie Evan McPherson, just to avoid another bad-optics Jake Elliott situation. They used a draft pick on him, he gets the job, right?

But another former fifth-round pick, Austin Seibert, impressed the team late last season and has had a strong camp so far this year, too.

Both have traded blows while competing so far. McPherson was perfect on Wednesday. Seibert missed just one attempt Thursday. Friday, they both went perfect. Saturday, with fans in the stands, both hit all of their attempts except from 60 yards.

So no, there isn’t an easy way to tell who ends up actually winning this battle, at least not yet. Seibert has the experience of winning a similar scenario as a rookie a few years ago in Cleveland and flashed last year, but the team drafting McPherson says it all — nothing is a guarantee.

While it’s not the most highlight-worthy of battles, what unfolds at kicker in the coming weeks — and especially during preseason games — will have a pretty big impact on the entire team during the regular season.

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