The Philadelphia Eagles’ 2025 preseason debut against the Cincinnati Bengals was billed as a showcase for the highly anticipated cornerback competition between Kelee Ringo and Adoree’ Jackson, vying for the coveted CB2 spot opposite Quinyon Mitchell. Fans, buzzing with excitement after weeks of training camp hype, were eager to see how the duo would fare. But what unfolded at Paycor Stadium left Eagles Nation reeling—and not in a good way.
Starting on the outside, Ringo and Jackson faced a brutal test against Cincinnati’s first-string offense, led by a relentless passing attack. The results were nothing short of catastrophic. Ringo, in particular, was exposed time and again, most notably getting absolutely torched by Bengals superstar Ja’Marr Chase. The second-year corner’s struggles were glaring, leaving fans wincing and dreading what this might mean for the Eagles’ secondary when the regular season kicks off.
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio on a tough night for Kelee Ringo against the Cincinnati Bengals receivers like Ja’Marr Chase
“Yeah, obviously they had some tough assignments in that game going against that quarterback and those receivers, but I think it’s a great… pic.twitter.com/DbdpefymKR
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) August 9, 2025
Post-game, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio didn’t mince words when breaking down the lackluster performances of his cornerbacks. Known for his no-nonsense approach, Fangio laid into Ringo’s mistakes with surgical precision, offering a sobering assessment of what went wrong.
“Yeah, obviously they had some tough assignments in that game going against that quarterback and those receivers, but I think it’s a great learning experience for both of them, and hopefully, they’ll both come back stronger,” Fangio said, via John Clark. “Obviously, Kelee had more balls thrown his way than Adoree’ did, but I think it’s great that happened, and we’ll see how much they can grow from that.”
Fangio’s critique of Ringo was particularly pointed. “He’s got to tackle. I’m not upset that the guy caught the ball on him. I’m upset that he didn’t tackle him, and he’s got to realize where he is on the field, use the sideline, realize who he’s going against. Those are all things you’ve got to process and factor in a millisecond, and he didn’t do a good job of that in that play.”
The message was clear: Ringo’s raw talent isn’t enough. If he wants to lock down the CB2 role, he needs to master the fundamentals—fast. From leveraging the sideline to wrapping up receivers with clean tackles, Ringo’s got a steep learning curve ahead. Fangio’s bluntness, while harsh, is a refreshing dose of reality for a player still finding his footing at the NFL level.
Despite the rough outing, Ringo remains a frontrunner for the CB2 job, thanks to his potential and a thin depth chart. But the clock is ticking. The Eagles have already brought in Jakorian Bennett as a potential challenger, signaling that Ringo’s leash is short. If he can’t clean up his game, he risks losing the starting role before the regular season even begins.