The Bengals have won six straight games and now sit atop the AFC North after the weekend’s action, but their defense will be missing a key player for the immediate future. Defensive end Sam Hubbard suffered a calf injury, and is now expected to miss multiple weeks (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network). 
Pelissero adds that a return in time for the postseason is currently the aim. The Bengals have three games remaining until that point, but much is still to be determined in the AFC, and Hubbard’s importance to Cincinnati’s defense has been self-evident this year. The 27-year-old has been a full-time starter in 2022, as he has been for the past four years.
Hubbard has operated as a bookend for Trey Hendrickson since the latter’s free agency arrival last offseason. He enjoyed a productive 2021 campaign with the new pass-rushing partner, racking up 7.5 sacks. Hubbard was in line to eclipse that total this year, having totaled 6.5 while adding 11 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and 30 quarterback pressures. Those totals also represented a solid return on investment for the Bengals, after they signed him to a four-year, $40MM extension last summer.
This news is especially concerning for Cincinnati given the broken wrist recently suffered by Hendrickson. That injury is likewise not suspected to be long-term, with the team electing not to place him on IR, but his absence will make that of Hubbard particularly notable. The pair have combined for 12.5 sacks on the year, with defensive tackle B.J. Hill ranking third on the team with 2.5. The Bengals collectively sit 30th in the league in that department despite the contributions of Hendrickson and Hubbard throughout the campaign.
With Hubbard now sidelined as well, Joseph Ossai and Cameron Sample are likely to serve as starters on the edge. The mid-round 2021 draftees have combined for three sacks in 2022, though a sharp increase in playing time will give them more opportunities to add to that total. They, along with the rest of the Bengals, will look to maintain the team’s current playoff positioning over the final few games of the regular season.