Brandon Thompson inching closer towards his eventual return

Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Brandon Thompson was a full participant during Wednesday's practice, offering a glimpse into his rehabilitation as he makes his way back from a week two knee injury. Thompson, who secured four tackles during the regular season opener in Baltimore, was a full participant during Thursday's practice last week, but scaled back on Friday when his knee became sore. Thompson has missed the last five games.

Provided that the soreness in his knee is gone, Thompson figures to return this Sunday when Cincinnati hosts Jacksonville.

"He's a good run-stuffing guy," defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said last week. "He's a key part of what we do and we can't wait to have him back."

Heading into week five, the Bengals defense were allowing 113.3 yards rushing per game (ranked 17th). They've been hovering around 140 to 147 yards rushing per game since, usually ranked outside the top-26. Pro Football Focus graded Thompson as one of the team's worst run defenders last year with a grade of -3.6. Margus Hunt (-4.1), Wallace Gilberry (-7.0) and Domata Peko (-13.8) were the only defensive linemen with worse run-stopping scores.