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Cincinnati Bengals News & Rumors

DE Myles Murphy Returns To Bengals Practice; DT McKinnley Jackson Designated For Return

October 2nd, 2024 at 10:18am CST by Sam Robinson

Myles Murphy is on his way back to help the Bengals’ pass rush. Given an IR-return designation upon Cincinnati setting its initial 53-man roster, Murphy returned to practice Wednesday.

Today marks the first date the 2023 first-rounder was eligible to practice, providing a good sign he will be ready to play in Week 5. The Bengals also designated defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson for return. Unlike Murphy, Jackson did not receive a return designation previously. Once the Bengals activate McKinnley, he will count against the team’s activation total.

[RELATED: Injured Reserve Return Tracker]

Murphy already does, by virtue of the team using an IR-return slot on him in August. Murphy joined punter Brad Robbins in that regard. Cincinnati activated Robbins from IR on Monday but cut him Tuesday. If the Bengals activate Jackson this week, their activation count will sit at five moving forward.

A knee sprain led Murphy to IR. He will return to add an intriguing piece behind Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard. Murphy played in all 17 Bengals games last season as a backup, logging 305 defensive snaps. The Clemson product totaled three sacks but only three QB hits. Cincinnati, which has Hendrickson in a contract year and Hubbard signed through 2025, will still aim to have Murphy develop as a future starter. For now, he profiles as important depth to a Bengals team that again has started slowly.

Chosen 97th overall out of Texas A&M, Jackson reenters the equation for a Bengals team that has played without starters B.J. Hill and Sheldon Rankins due to hamstring injuries. The Bengals placed Jackson on IR shortly after setting their roster, but Wednesday’s transaction effectively shows the rookie remains in the team’s plans for 2024.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/1/24

October 1st, 2024 at 6:41pm CST by Ely Allen

Tuesday’s minor NFL transactions:

Buffalo Bills

  • Signed (off Falcons’ practice squad): DT Zion Logue

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Los Angeles Rams

New England Patriots

San Francisco 49ers

  • Signed (off Commanders’ practice squad): LB Jalen Graham

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Robbins’ release today marks the end of what was supposed to be the continuation of the battle for the punter position in Cincinnati, setting the table for Ryan Rehkow to continue his job as the primary punter for the Bengals. Robbins was activated from injured reserve yesterday, but his stint on the active roster ends after only one day. It’s an interesting move after the team dedicated one of their eight IR activations for the season on Robbins before the season began.

Cowboys To Sign DE K.J. Henry Off Bengals’ Practice Squad, Place DeMarcus Lawrence On IR

October 1st, 2024 at 10:47am CST by Sam Robinson

10:47am: Lawrence moving to IR will be the Cowboys’ corresponding move, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer tweets. The longtime Dallas starter had been set to head to IR due to the Lisfranc injury he sustained against the Giants. This will clear a roster spot, as Lawrence begins a lengthy rehab effort.

10:07am: The Cowboys will begin handling their defensive end crisis with a practice squad poaching. Jerry Jones indicated Tuesday morning this would be an option, and Dallas is turning to Cincinnati’s P-squad for help following the losses of DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons.

Defensive end K.J. Henry is heading to the Cowboys off the Bengals’ practice squad, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. A 2023 fifth-round Commanders draftee, Henry did not make Dan Quinn‘s first Washington roster last month and ventured to Cincinnati. The Cowboys are only obligated to keep Henry on their 53-man roster for three weeks, but Fowler adds they are keeping their options open with a two-year contract.

Not expected to pursue a trade to fill the voids created by Lawrence and Parsons’ injuries, the Cowboys will add a piece who is now signed through 2025. Henry’s rookie contract was to run through 2026, but the Commanders and Bengals have each cut him this year. Cincinnati initially claimed Henry off waivers but cut him earlier this month. Henry, a Clemson alum, had stayed with the Bengals via a practice squad deal after clearing waivers.

While Henry never topped five sacks in a season at Clemson, he notched nine tackles for loss in 2022 and combined for 14 from 2020-21. He played sparingly for the Tigers’ 2018 national championship-winning squad. Henry’s final Clemson season brought second-team All-ACC acclaim, with Pro Football Focus tabbing him a third-team All-American.

Henry was among a wave of 2023 draft choices deemed unworthy of Quinn’s first Commanders roster, with third-round center Ricky Stromberg also among the cut contingent. Washington, which added two Quinn ex-Dallas D-end charges Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler, had deployed Henry as a three-game starter last season. The team’s trades of Montez Sweat and Chase Young at the deadline freed up spots for the struggling team, and Henry notched 1.5 sacks in a rematch against the Giants. Henry, 25, has played in two Bengals games this season.

The Cowboys are expected to place Lawrence on IR, as a Lisfranc injury is set to sideline the 11th-year edge rusher for up to two months. Parsons is week-to-week with a high ankle sprain. Both players were moving around the team facility on scooters Monday, and the Cowboys are not expected to have Parsons in uniform against the Steelers. Henry joins second-round rookie Marshawn Kneeland, former third-rounder Chauncey Golston and second-year player Tyrus Wheat as healthy DEs on Dallas’ 53-man roster. Carl Lawson is still on the team’s practice squad but is on track to be in uniform Sunday.

Bengals Activate P Brad Robbins From IR

September 30th, 2024 at 12:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bengals will be the first team this season to activate a player from IR. As it happens, a punter will be the first such transaction. Brad Robbins is coming off IR and will move back onto Cincinnati’s active roster.

Cincinnati’s full-time punter last season, Robbins already received a return designation after suffering an injury this summer. A quad injury sidelined the young specialist, but he will return to the Bengals’ 53-man roster, which now houses two punters. Because the Bengals designated Robbins for return before upon their initial 53, he already counted toward their eight-activation limit. Today’s move does not affect Cincy’s count.

[RELATED: Injured Reserve Return Tracker]

Robbins joins Ryan Rehkow as punters currently on Cincinnati’s active roster. Teams almost never keep two punters on their 53-man roster, and veteran Bengals reporter Jay Morrison notes this is believed to be Rehkow’s job to lose. The Bengals had discussed continuing their punter competition once Robbins recovered. Though, it is a bit difficult to see this being an active-roster battle for an extended period. One figures to be dropped to the practice squad, though that player would need to clear waivers first.

Robbins averaged just 44.3 yards per punt as a rookie. The Michigan alum, who will turn 26 next week, ranked as the league’s third-worst punter in terms of gross average in 2023. He placed 26.3% of his punts inside the 20-yard line.

The Bengals selected Robbins in last year’s sixth round out of Michigan; the ex-Jim Harbaugh recruit spent six years with the Wolverines and had been the program’s primary punter in four of those seasons. He will vie with Rehkow, a rookie UDFA out of BYU, to win his job back. Rehkow will be difficult to unseat, however, as he is averaging an NFL-high 58.4 yards per boot. While 13 games remain, that number would smash Ryan Stonehouse‘s single-season record, illustrating the uphill battle Robbins is set to wage.

Bengals RT Trent Brown Out For Season

September 28th, 2024 at 1:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

SEPTEMBER 28: As the Bengals prepare to move on with their season, they have officially made the transaction to move Brown to injured reserve. This officially sets the table for Mims to line up across from Orlando Brown for the remainder of the season. Trent Brown, on the other hand, will likely have his eyes towards next season, when, if things go well with Mims, the veteran could be on his way to a new city.

SEPTEMBER 24: A cart transported Trent Brown off the field during the Bengals’ loss to the Commanders on Monday night, and the veteran tackle will not return this season.

Brown sustained a patellar tendon tear, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who reports season-ending surgery is on tap. While Brown is expected to make a full recovery, he is on a one-year contract and has an extensive history of unavailability. This development will begin the Amarius Mims era in Cincinnati.

The Bengals gave Brown a one-year, $4.75MM deal in March. After the team selected Mims in Round 1, Brown was moving toward a role as high-end insurance behind Cincinnati’s starters — as part of the largest tackle trio in NFL history. The 6-foot-8 blocker, however, became needed after Mims sustained a pectoral injury during training camp. Brown started the Bengals’ first three games, shifting back to right tackle after finishing his second Patriots stint on the left side.

Fortunately for an 0-3 Bengals team, Mims recovered in time to make his NFL debut Monday night. He replaced Brown at right tackle and played 39 offensive snaps in the team’s shootout loss. Mims had been on track to open the season as Cincy’s RT starter, but his chest injury reopened the door for Brown. Now, it will be Mims and Orlando Brown Jr. — a tackle tandem that figures to be in place for years in western Ohio.

Now 31, Trent Brown has run into many health issues during an otherwise successful career. Since moving into the 49ers’ starting lineup late in his rookie season, Brown has missed 36 games. This has not included injuries in every season, as Brown delivered 16-game slates in 2016 and ’18 and then a 17-game showing in 2022. But they have cropped up consistently for a player who has dealt with weight issues during his pro career as well.

The Patriots received tremendous value from their Brown pick-swap trade with the 49ers during the 2018 draft, soon turning to the former seventh-round pick as their LT starter. Brown played a key role in the Pats gliding to their sixth Super Bowl title that season, and he parlayed that into a then-tackle-record four-year, $66MM Raiders deal. After a Pro Bowl showing at right tackle for the 2019 Raiders, Brown was hospitalized due to COVID-19 — during a 2020 season featuring 11 missed games — and then traded back to New England in 2021. The Pats used Brown at both right and left tackle from 2021-23, and while he played well, he became difficult to rely on in Bill Belichick‘s final years in Foxborough.

Some among the Patriots believed Brown was prioritizing his free agency rather than returning from injury as soon as he could last season, a 4-13 Pats campaign. After Brown missed six games in 2023 and nine in 2021, a tepid market awaited him. Still, the Bengals took a flier and cut three-year swingman/spot starter Jackson Carman in August. This came after backup D’Ante Smith landed on IR. The team still has guard/tackle Cody Ford, while 2022 UDFA Devin Cochran resides on its practice squad. Cochran has yet to play a regular-season NFL game.

Considering Mims’ recent injury and a health-interrupted Georgia career that featured just eight starts, it would make sense if the Bengals considered outside options to back up their current first-string duo. This represents a brutal blow for Brown, who will rehab on an expiring contract.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/23/24

September 23rd, 2024 at 8:15pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Cincinnati Bengals

Jacksonville Jaguars

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Waived from IR: TE McCallan Castles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Washington Commanders

Tee Higgins Expected To Play In Week 3

September 21st, 2024 at 10:02pm CST by Ben Levine

Tee Higgins is set to make his season debut on Monday night. Bengals coach Zac Taylor confirmed that the wide receiver is “good to go” for Week 3, per Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Higgins missed the Bengals first two games while dealing with a hamstring injury that popped up during a Week 1 practice. The receiver finally returned to practice this past week, and while he was limited, he admitted that he’s back to feeling 100 percent.

“I feel great,” Higgins said yesterday (via ESPN’s Ben Baby). “Obviously, unfortunate with the injury, sat out the first two weeks but finally ready to get my feet wet this season and ready to go.”

Higgins’ absence raised some eyebrows following an offseason where he was slapped with the franchise tag. The two sides ultimately couldn’t agree to a long-term deal, and Higgins’ sudden injury came on the heels of the Ja’Marr Chase drama. Higgins made it clear that his absence had nothing to do with his contract, noting that the injury was worse than initially feared. In fact, the impending free agent was especially motivated to take the field as soon as possible.

“That’s why I was so bummed out that it happened because it was something I focused on this offseason for it not to happen, and it did, but I’m back now so it’s cool,” Higgins said last week (via Baby).

The former 1,000-yard receiver will be counted on to provide a spark to an offense that’s scored three touchdowns in two games. With Higgins out of the lineup, the team has been especially reliant on tight end Mike Gesicki and second-year WR Andrei Iosivas, with Trenton Irwin and rookie third-round pick Jermaine Burton also garnering some extra targets.

NFL Injury Updates: Texans, Herbert, Love, Mims

September 21st, 2024 at 3:38pm CST by Ely Allen

The Texans offense has been inundated with injuries over the past week. Both starting running back Joe Mixon and primary backup rusher Dameon Pierce are set to miss the team’s trip to Minnesota this weekend, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. In addition, center Jarrett Patterson has been ruled out, as well.

Mixon is still dealing with an ankle injury that knocked him out of last week’s win over the Bears. After an explosive Week 1 debut with the Texans, in which he rushed 30 times for 159 yards and a touchdown, Mixon only rushed the ball nine times before getting knocked out last week. Pierce was absent in last week’s game as he dealt with a hamstring injury that he suffered in Week 1.

With its RB1 and RB2 on the injury report, Houton will have to turn to Cam Akers and Dare Ogunbowale in Week 3. The team also called up practice squad rusher J.J. Taylor as some potential insurance. Juice Scruggs should be back starting at center, though he’s also listed as questionable with a groin injury. With Patterson out, Kendrick Green will be the backup center.

Here are some other injury updates from around the NFL:

  • Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has spent the week dealing with a high ankle sprain, barely appearing at practice since last Sunday. Yesterday, it was announced that there was no decision on whether or not he would be able to start this Sunday. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, though, there’s growing optimism in Los Angeles that Herbert will be able to start in Pittsburgh tomorrow. He’s currently listed as questionable, and he’ll reportedly test the ankle before the game before making a final call.
  • Another starting quarterback, Jordan Love, is currently listed as questionable to play tomorrow. The Packers anticipated a multi-week absence for their newly-paid passer, but per Pelissero, the team has not yet ruled out the possibility that Love returns after only one absence. Still, Green Bay called up Sean Clifford from the practice squad. Clifford will back up Malik Willis if Love is unable to go in time for tomorrow.
  • We already knew that wide receiver Tee Higgins was set to make his 2024 debut on Monday, but Pelissero adds that rookie first-round offensive tackle Amarius Mims has been removed from the injury report and is set to make his NFL debut for the Bengals, as a result. Mims had been dealing with a pectoral muscle injury that limited his time in training camp and kept him out of the team’s first two contests. It’s unclear what his role would be if he does play immediately, as Trent Brown has been starting for the first few games, but regardless, Cincinnati will be happy to add a first-round talent to their offense this week.

NFL Injury Updates: Higgins, Herbert, Seahawks

September 20th, 2024 at 9:05pm CST by Ely Allen

The Bengals have operated through the first two weeks of the season without two of their top targets from the 2023 NFL season. Tyler Boyd found his way to Tennessee in free agency, and Tee Higgins has missed the first two games of the year with a hamstring injury. Quarterback Joe Burrow will be happy to see one of the two return in Week 3 against the Commanders, according to Ben Baby of ESPN.

Higgins has been limited at practice throughout this past week, but the fifth-year wideout claimed that “he feels 100% healthy and…should be able to play at full strength” this Monday night. Higgins broke 1,000 yards receiving in his second NFL season despite missing three games, and he’ll be challenged to do so in 2024 after missing two already.

Star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase may be just as happy to see Higgins as Burrow is. The only major receiving threat in the team’s first two games, Chase has been limited to 10 catches for 97 yards so far this season. Andrei Iosivas and Trenton Irwin have been the beneficiaries of Higgins’ missed time, and they’ll hope that their early efforts have earned them some targets as WR3 and WR4 moving forward.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL:

  • Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has been seen very little at practice this week after getting rolled up on in last week’s game. Per James Palmer of Bleacher Report, Herbert told reporters he had been dealing with a high ankle sprain. Herbert also mentioned that a decision hasn’t been made yet on whether or not he’ll play this Sunday.
  • The Seahawks will likely be without four starters in Week 3. Running back Kenneth Walker and linebacker Jerome Baker are both doubtful, while outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu and right tackle George Fant have already been ruled out. Per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic, Walker could return in Week 4 after missing two contests. ESPN’s Brady Henderson adds that the team is hopeful Nwosu will be back by then, too. He’s reportedly “progressing really quickly,” according to head coach Mike Macdonald.
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