UPDATE: It's official, Sean Porter and Cedric Ogbuehi will be on the practice field with the Bengals this week. The Bengals are practicing Tuesday instead of their regularly scheduled Tuesday off-day due to their Thursday night game last week and Monday night game this week. Wednesday will reportedly be the team's off-day this week.
NEWS: #Bengals clear OL Cedric Ogbuehi and LB Sean Porter for practice
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) November 10, 2015
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The Cincinnati Bengals could be seeing a new face or two at practice this week.
According to Bengals.com's Geoff Hobson, rookie offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi is set to make his NFL practice debut on Tuesday. "He’s ready to practice and I’m excited for him," offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth said of Ogbuehi being ready to practice for the first time since tearing his ACL in his final collegiate game. Ogbuehi is currently on the Non-Football Injury list.
Linebacker Sean Porter also revealed on Twitter that he's been "cleared", which may me be referring to the team clearing him to practice, though no official announcement has been made. Porter was placed on the PUP list prior to the season beginning.
Thank God.. #Cleared2Go
— Sean Porter (@onlyoneSP) November 2, 2015
The Bengals spent the No. 21 pick in this year's NFL draft on Ogbuehi knowing they would likely keep him on the injury list for much of his rookie season. Ogbuehi he tore his ACL during A&M's Liberty Bowl game in December 2014.
As for Porter, a former fourth-round pick during the 2013 NFL draft, he opened the year on PUP due to a torn ACL suffered last season. He's been injury prone ever since he came to Cincinnati, suffering a season-ending torn labrum only days after training camp started during his rookie season.
A knee injury impacted his training camp in 2014 and forced him to miss two preseason games. A hamstring injury during the preseason finale put him on the shelf through the first three games of the season. Porter would finally be active during Cincinnati's Sunday Night game against the New England Patriots in Week 5, but tore his ACL on the opening kickoff. Given the fact that an ACL tear typically takes about 6-9 months to recover from, it was surprising that he opened the year on PUP. But, then again, maybe the Bengals did that in hopes it would help him stay durable for the majority of a season.
In case you need a recap on what the PUP and NFI lists are, each list prevents players from playing and practicing during the first six weeks of the season. Players also do not count against the 53-man roster when they get this designation. Once made eligible to practice, the team has a three-week window to make a decision on whether the player will remain on PUP/NFI for the rest of the season, be released from the team or be activated to the 53-man roster.
That means if Ogbuehi and/or Porter practice this week, the Bengals will then have three weeks to decide if/when they'll activate each player to the 53-man roster, making them eligible to play in games. At this point, expect both Ogbuehi and Porter to receive the full three weeks of practice time before the Bengals make a final decision, unless someone on the offensive line or at the linebacker position gets injured.
Even though neither player is expected to play much, if at all this season, anytime you have some extra bodies to add into the mix in the middle of a season, they could be nice additions.