MONDAY, 2:28pm: The Bengals have officially placed Smith on injured reserve, signing free agent tackle Jamon Meredith to replace him on the roster, the club announced today (via Twitter).
SUNDAY, 10:45pm: Bengals offensive tackle Andre Smith has a tear in his tricep/bicep area, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). The former first-round pick will need surgery next week, ending his season. Smith was injured in Sunday’s victory over the Texans.
Smith suffered a number of injuries early in his career, but he had seemed to have overcame those woes, missing only four games since 2011. The 27-year-old has been one of the Bengals top lineman in recent years, and Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) consistently ranked him among the top 20 tackles in the league. Those same numbers indicated that Smith was struggling this year, but it may have been a result of the ankle injury that forced him from two games this season.
The former Crimson Tide lineman was drafted sixth overall in the 2009 draft, and he signed a three-year extension worth $18MM in 2013. Offseason addition Marshall Newhouse will likely start in place of Smith.