A.J. Green, Clint Boling return to Bengals practice; Tyler Eifert unlikely to play vs Patriots

The Bengals got great news on Thursday as they held their second pre-Patriots practice.

Star wide receiver A.J. Green was able to practice after missing Wednesday’s session with a calf injury. Green has rarely even appeared on the injury report, let alone missed games due to injury.

It will be interesting to see later today on the injury report how much work Green got in on Thursday with Friday being more of a walkthrough. Either way, Green should be good to go this Sunday in New England.

Also returning to practice Thursday was starting guard Clint Boling. He missed Wednesday’s session with a shoulder injury. Boling suffered that injury in Week 4 vs the Dolphins, which led to him being limited in practice last week before being questionable to face the Cowboys. He did play 100% of snaps in that game.

Because Boling missed this Wednesday, how much he works on Thursday will go a long way in deciding if he’s active in New England. But, seeing as how he played last week, he should be good to go again on Sunday. If he is held out, it will be interesting to see who starts in his place. Veteran lineman Eric Winston has been playing guard, though he’s spent most of his career at right tackle.

Left tackle Jake Fisher has also gotten work at guard and rookie guard Christian Westerman could theoretically replace Boling, but Westerman has not been active in a game this season.

To no surprise, tight end Tyler Eifert was not present for Thursday’s practice. He suffered a back injury last Monday in practice, which has led to him not appearing at practice since.

It’s one thing to be injured, but the fact he isn’t even at practice suggests he is not close to returning. We probably shouldn’t expect to see him before the Bengals return from their bye in Week 10. If he happens to play before then, it would be a welcomed surprise.

Elsewhere, linebacker Karlos Dansby was back at practice Thursday after getting what appeared to be a veteran’s rest day off on Wednesday. He’s been a bright spot at strongside linebackers, and he’ll have a big role on Sunday against a loaded Patriots offense.

Running back Jeremy Hill continued to practice Thursday after being limited on Wednesday. It’s looking like he’ll be good to go Sunday, but again, how much he work he gets in will help determine his workload in New England.

On the rehab field, defensive tackle Brandon Thompson returned to work with cornerback William Jackson III and running back Cedric Peerman. Thompson was absent Wednesday as he continues to work while on the PUP list. He can return next week, though, the Bengals could take their time with adding him back to the roster once he becomes eligible to return.

Be sure to check back later for the full practice and participation report.