Darius Phillips re-asserting himself as a starter

The Cincinnati Bengals might be getting closer to answering the question of who will start opposite William Jackson III.

Third-year corner Darius Phillips has turned heads with his performance in camp so far. On Monday, he flew to the sideline to break up a pass to receiver Mike Thomas. Just minutes before, he tipped a pass from Burrow that was then intercepted by safety Jessie Bates III.

Overall, he has looked the part of a potential starting corner with great upside.

This should come as no surprise, as Phillips intercepted four passes in just 109 snaps last season. Still, it was never clear that he would be relied on as a starter. In fact, just as early as last week, he was losing first team snaps to LeShaun Sims.

This week, though, Phillips seems to be back in the driver’s seat. Geoff Hobson reports that he was running with the ones again on Monday and “making his presence felt as the camp competition heated up.”

For the 25-year-old playmaker to set himself apart this early in camp is a very good sign for the team.