Read the full transcript from HC Jeff Hafley's media availability on October 8, 2026.

Caleb Douglas, Rob Beal, Reese Taylor, Jackson Woodard, are they all out Sunday – the guys who didn't practice the last two days?

Jeff Hafley: Let's go one at a time. Caleb's going to run today, so I would say he's unlikely, but he's progressing. Beal will be out and Woodard will practice today, so we'll see how it goes, but he'll practice today.

And Justin Joly, I guess was in protocol. Is he out Sunday?

Jeff Hafley: Yeah, he'll be out.

And any decision on Kenneth Grant for Sunday at this point? How's that looking?

Jeff Hafley: Let's see how he does today in practice. I want to make sure he can get through all three practices and then we'll make that decision after practice today. He's had a good week, but I'd like to see him get through it.

How about Reese Taylor and Jaylen Wright?

Jeff Hafley: Reese, like I said, he's out. He'll be out for a few weeks. And who was the other one?

Jaylen Wright. He appeared with a foot, he was limited.

Jeff Hafley: Yeah, he should be good to go.

Are you at the point with Storm Duck where he's ready to play and you just have to make a decision on one of these weeks? Or does he still need more time, do you think?

Jeff Hafley: I think it's a combination of both, so we'll keep seeing how he's doing.

If Ja'Marr Chase plays when Chris Johnson lines up against him, what do you want to see?

Jeff Hafley: I want to see him rely on his fundamentals and techniques. I want him to see him continue to improve. That's a fair question, you're talking about a rookie – I'm sure that's why you're asking – against maybe the premier receiver in all of our league. I have a ton of respect for Ja'Marr after watching him live last year for the first time really getting to coach against him. I love the way he plays. And like I said, I think he's the guy. What happens a lot of the time is when you start to think about that as a player and you start to go away from your fundamentals and techniques and you try to change who you are, you don't play very well. So you gotta know who you're up against, right? I'd be crazy to tell you that you can't do that, but you gotta rely on your training and you gotta play with great eyes, great feet, great physicality. You gotta finish violent at the reception point. You gotta understand where your help is and play with the leverage to your help. And you got to be physical and you got to be aggressive because you're going to have to match that because that's how he plays the game. I want him to I want to see him be himself and I want to see him take a step. And that would be my answer to your question, if that makes sense.

What's the significance of getting that first win within the process knowing that it's still early?

Jeff Hafley: Probably more for the players, all the hard work they've put in. How much I think they've improved and I think for them, for us to win would be a great reward for the players. I mean, that's important. And that's what I'd say is the biggest thing for me, is for the players.

When it comes to the run game, are you somebody that likes to ride the hot hand or are you committed to the committee?

Jeff Hafley: Both. And I know it's not what you want to hear. If you get into a drive and a guy is hot, I think you got to keep going. But then all of a sudden that guy gets really tired and he still wants to keep going but he can't, you gotta make a good decision and get somebody else in. But just like with any player at any position, you can get into a really good routine, right? And when a guy gets into a good routine and he starts to feel really comfortable and he's playing well, you want to watch that and you want that guy to keep going. But you can't go forever at that position. So there's hopefully a lot of plays and you're going to have to use multiple players. Some people like to rotate corners in and out and I've done it in my career, but some guys got to get in a rhythm and they got to get playing and their feet in the ground and a feel for the game. And the more the game goes on, the better some of them get and running back is the same thing. So both.

One of the Bengals defensive backs told reporters yesterday that they think they have a tell on Malik Willis, that they'll go they plan to break on the ball when he taps it. Is that something that needs to be addressed? Is it a concern?

Jeff Hafley: I played high school quarterback, I did the same thing. It never hurt me. I'm just joking. But I did play high school quarterback and I probably patted the ball. Being very honest with you, I studied quarterbacks for over 25 years and that is not uncommon. A lot of quarterbacks pat the ball or take their hand off the ball. I mean, there's some I've studied that look up right before they throw the ball. I just, I don't think there's anything revolutionary about that. It's a timing and rhythm thing with a lot of guys and there's a lot of them that do that. But any opponent that wants to share our tendencies with us, we'll take any time. But there's nothing there on that. And if there was something big, like he told us every time our left guard was in a three-point stance, we were running the ball. I'd be like, all right, we got to fix that. It's just there's nothing there.

The absence of Caleb Douglas and De'Von Achane. How has that impacted the team most? I mean, does it fall on Slowik? Does it fall on offensive line, Malik Willis, the defense? What's been the effect?

Jeff Hafley: I mean, look, you lose two guys were playing really well and you lose one of the best running backs in the NFL, but that's our sport. It's why I talk about developing our players. It's why you asked me the other day, why are we doing those 7-on-7s? Why are we doing Sunday practices? You have to have your other guys ready to go. And certainly, is it a heartbreaker when it's one of the best players in the league? Yeah, but our team's got to go forward. That unfortunately, that's part of our game, right? We've got to recognize it. We've got to coach. We've got to develop. Our players need to step up. Our coaches need to step up. And we all got to do it together, but that's football.

You kind of offered a challenge to Chop earlier this week, saying, "that's great, let's see you do it again, let's see put in another good week of practice." How have you seen him respond as he's looking to string three good games in a row together?

Jeff Hafley: Just like I thought he would. I mean, he's had a great week of practice. And it's not like it's just a challenge to Chop. I mean, that's my job as a coach, right? When a guy's playing well, we got to get him to play better. And when the guy's not playing well, we got him to play better. Chop and I have an awesome relationship, and I love the guy. And he's worked his butt off, and I'm going to keep telling him, regardless how good he thinks it is, I think he can be better than even he thinks he can. And I think that's important for a coach to do with a player that he truly cares and believes about. And I love the guy.

Could you see any scenario – barring injury – where Proctor plays tackle at all this year? Or are you and Sully committed to leaving him the full year at guard under any circumstances, including injury?

Jeff Hafley: I mean, you're asking me like a huge hypothetical with anything that could happen. So sure, there could be something that happens after the way you phrased it – not the way I'm phrasing it. So sure. But that's not like a blanket statement for me, that's an answer to in "any scenario." Yeah, of course, anything could happen.

Have you and Sully had any conversation that you were able to share where you had an opinion about whether you want to leave him at guard for the full year or whether you want to leave it open-ended?

Jeff Hafley: Sully and I discuss a lot of things.

Cincinnati obviously has a lot of explosive plays offensively. What do you see as the biggest challenge in containing their offense and also how can your defense generate pressure without giving up big plays downfield considering who their QB1 is?

Jeff Hafley: That's what we've been working on all week. I mean, let me put it to you this way, when you look at this team, it starts with the quarterback. I think he's one of the best quarterbacks in our league and he's had a ton of success and he plays the game the right way and he's super talented. And then you combine that with an offensive line that can protect, take it a step further. And now I've already talked about Chase, and then you got Higgins, and then you have the tight end who plays like a wide receiver. So there's a lot of things that you can't just pick one the whole entire game, so you got to pick and choose as you go. What's the down and distance? What scenario? Are we in the red zone or are we on third down? Is it third and medium versus third and long? There's so many things that go into my head even as I'm just thinking about this right now. Like who's the go-to in this situation that I think we got to stop, right? You can't stop everybody because if you try to stop everybody, you're not going to stop anything. So you got to pick and choose. And I don't want to leave out the back. I think Brown plays the game the right way. And he's probably not talked about a whole lot, but when I watch film, he's the type of guy that you want to have on your team. He plays so damn hard. He runs violent. And I have a lot of respect for any back in this league that protects the way he does. He's a physical guy. And then the tight end, I mean, we talk about Gesicki all the time as a wideout. But you look at Sample and you look at the career that he's had and the physicality that he's had and all the stuff that he does in protection that he does for his team. I mean, that's a good offense over there. So for us, we're going to embrace the challenge with all those pieces, whoever they finally figure out who we're playing against. And based on down, distance, field position, where we are in the game, what we need to do, what we need to stop, we're going to have to throw a lot of different things at them. And that's going to be a huge challenge, but that's what makes this exciting. Because anytime you get to go up against a team like this, from a coach's standpoint and a player's standpoint, that's why we coach and play.

Quick follow up on Brown, how does his ability to catch out of the backfield put pressure on the defense? I think he had 11 last game?

Jeff Hafley: We've been playing a lot of really good backs. I mean, if you look back from Week 1 to obviously the Chiefs with Walker, every week we seem to play a guy, Aaron Jones last week. You just got to keep an eye on them. And it's just, when they catch the ball, we got to get 11 hats to the ball. Everything we do defensively is going to be all year long is, can we keep playing is with great communication? Which we played better the last two weeks. With great physicality, can we get 11 to the ball? Like that's my challenge. Can we get 11 to the ball consistently so when I go to tackle you, I can take my shot because I know I got 10 of my guys ready to come and help me out? That has to be how we play this year. And if we do that in those positions and you catch the ball, then we should be in pretty good shape.

How has Chris Bell done so far and can you put a percent on where he is? We understand that Atlanta was his first contact in months. Where is he as far as his progression?

Jeff Hafley: I don't know if I could put a percent on it. While that's a good question, I think me just throwing out a number would be just me throwing out a number. Is he is he is he ahead, is he behind? He's probably ahead for where I thought he'd be just because the guy missed training camp. And I think Chris is a guy when you talk to him, and I think you guys probably have, Chris is an awesome guy and he's one of those guys you love. He's so damn competitive. He blocks the run after the catch. He runs angry. And you can start to feel him gaining confidence. And he needs to do that. And he needs to play and he needs the experience. He just missed so much time where he's just still in that catch up mode. But I had a great talk with him yesterday, man. That guy, he's doing everything right and I totally believe in him and I have all the confidence in the world in him. And put it at a percent – all I know is this, he's going to get better and better and that is exciting.

Michael Taaffe was telling us that he didn't want to disclose what it was, obviously, but he said they've done something to solve the communication issues. I know it's a week-to-week thing and you're only as good as how you play Sunday. He also said that players are meeting on their own. Have you liked what he and the other young defenders have done to try to fix those issues?

Jeff Hafley: Yeah. I think a lot of that too is just going to come with time playing together. I think it's a lot of things happen fast, so there's a lot of subtle things that you have to get to where it's you almost got to be able to finish each other's sentences and kind of, hey, look at him a certain way and I know what that means. It just takes time. So by those guys getting together and meeting on their own, it's going to help because they can communicate when they watch film. I think a ton of them went out to dinner last night. I just think being around each other and connecting and growing together, it's all really, really helpful.

The game on Sunday is a Crucial Catch game. The Dolphins will celebrate that they raised $100 million for cancer for a community. I wanted to ask you, how do you feel to be in a team like that is so connected to a community and this kind of thing?

Jeff Hafley: I think it's awesome. Everything that they do for the community, I think it's outstanding. And I am just honored to be a part of that. With the Crucial Catch, that's close to me. I lost my father to cancer. My mother had cancer. So when I wear that sweatshirt and there's anything that I can do to help, I do not take that lightly and I'm glad that one, the NFL supports it and I'm glad that our team takes it to another level with all the support that they give from Mr. Ross all the way down. And that's a big deal to me. And just very proud that I can help any way that I can.

We've talked a lot about Jacob Rodriguez, his relationship with Jordyn Brooks. Your relationship with Jacob, how would you describe it considering you're a defensive coach, you're in his ear with the green dot and everything like that? Is it kind of like a coach-quarterback relationship just on the other side of the ball?

Jeff Hafley: I think that's a great way to put it. I'm probably in contact with him as much as I am with any other player for that reason. And then on game day, take it a step further, it's really me and him talking through the whole entire game. So it's exactly like you just said. It's like an offensive play caller with a quarterback. It's a defensive play caller with a mike linebacker. I love Jacob. I trust him. I have total confidence in him. I think he's got so much great football ahead of him. I love the way he works. I love him the way he approaches the game, I've said it over and over again. He's a super person off the field. I have a great connection with him and that's going to just continue to grow in time, just like it will with all these guys that were going through this journey together. But yeah, that's a very good way to put it the way you did.