Former Patriots right tackle Trent Brown will make his ninth Opening Day start in his Bengals debut Sunday (1 p.m. – Cincinnati Local 12) against his old friends from New England, while relocated safety Dax Hill will make his first start at cornerback when the NFL season begins at Paycor Stadium.

Head coach Zac Taylor announced his decision after practice on Monday, saying he couldn’t be sure until later in the week whether rookie right tackle Amarius Mims will be able to back up Brown against the Patriots as Mims continues to deal with a shoulder injury. Taylor also said DJ Turner, who played cornerback alongside Cam Taylor-Britt last year, will get his chance.

“It was a great battle. Neither one failed, so the other is the starter,” Taylor said. “I really felt like it was two guys where I wanted to get the best out of each other. I think it’s good that Dax was able to take on that responsibility. That’s not to say DJ doesn’t play or that we don’t have roles for the other guys. It’s a long season, so the guys have to be ready when their chance comes.”

Mims, a first-round pick out of Georgia, came to training camp aiming to become the first Bengals rookie to start an opening game at tackle since Pro Football Hall of Fame member Antony Munoz started at left tackle in the 1980 opening game. His widely celebrated training camp ended prematurely when he suffered the injury in the preseason opener on Aug. 10.

The Bengals chose their captains on Monday, and the choice fell on quarterback Joe Burrow, safety Vonn Bell, left end Sam Hubbard and center Ted Karras.

Three of the others were named captains to the NFL for the first time, but are already serving as leaders of their units.

Linebacker Germaine Pratt works with linebacker Logan Wilson to direct traffic in the middle of the field. When left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. arrived as a free agent last year, he brought with him a Super Bowl ring and the experience of blocking for two MVPs. With more than 1,000 snaps in the kicking game, linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither is their most experienced special teamer.

Finally, kicker Evan McPherson was named captain for the first time since he captained the Fort Payne High School football team his senior year.

“You wondered what would happen with the special teams captaincy. I think he’s confident and the guys trust him,” Taylor said. “That’s leadership. That’s quiet leadership.”

“Evan’s not going to sit up there and yell at the guys, but I think that’s leadership in his way. They’re great at their position, they take responsibility for everything that’s on their plate. Like in his case, a kicker. And they lead by example. If the guys trust that, they have to do their job. That’s just a quiet form of leadership.”

Pratt has turned heads since he joined us as a third-round pick in 2019. From a guy focused on forcing turnovers, producing two of the most famous in franchise history (the interception inside the 5 to end the 2021 Wild Card Game and the following year’s forced fourth-quarter fumble of tight end Travis Kelce that led to a December win over the Chiefs), to a vocal leader who knows the defense inside and out.

“Most people in the world are followers. You want to be a leader, lead people and see people improve every year,” Pratt said. “I’ve been here for six years. Most people know they can talk football to me. I’ve always been a guy that could talk football with my IQ. Now I’m going to represent worldwide.”

It’s a revered role no matter when you get it.

“Anyone can be a captain, but no one has a C,” Pratt said.

It’s hard to believe. Brown has never been a captain in the NFL. That’s about the only thing he hasn’t done, as he also went to four Pro Bowls and it meant so much to him that on Monday he called his father, Orlando Brown Sr., the late turn-of-the-century Ravens right tackle.

“My dad always talked to me about it. Being such a professional,” Brown said. “I’m grateful to my teammates and honored that they voted for me. That’s football. Taking responsibility, and that’s what Zac tells us all the time. That’s what it means to be a Bengal.”