When the Cincinnati Bengals take the field on Friday night to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first preseason game of the year, not all 90 men on the roster will see the field.
A few guys are dealing with injuries and a few others will avoid contact in a meaningless game. Here’s a look at which Bengals are banged up heading into the preseason opener, all of whom should be expected to be sitting on the sidelines and not participating when the Bengals take the field at 7:00 p.m. ET at Paul Brown Stadium.
John Ross: Ross is still recovering from shoulder surgery, which he underwent in March. He said this week he’s “90 percent” recovered. The hope is that he plays at some point in the preseason, but it’s not going to be on Friday against the Buccaneers.
.@WatchJRoss updates his shoulder: I'm about 90%. Just taking my time & our trainers are doing a real good job.. it's looking good right now
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) August 8, 2017
George Iloka: Iloka was injured early on in training camp and is aiming to return after the preseason but before the regular season. He’s been on the rehab field and is reportedly on-track in his recovery from a hyperextended knee.
C.J. Uzomah: The third year tight end is dealing with a sprained ankle, though the severity and whether it’s a high ankle sprain or a low ankle sprain is unknown. What we do know is that he will not play on Friday.
Andre Smith: Smith is dealing with an elbow injury and stopped practicing early on Monday before failing to participate at all on Tuesday. He’s unlikely to suit up on Friday and Trey Hopkins will likely start in his place at right guard. That’s not good news for Smith as Hopkins looks to steal his starting job.
P.J. Dawson: The third year linebacker has been seen with a cast on his arm and hasn’t practiced in about a week. That means he will not be suiting up on Friday. That’s a big loss for Dawson who is in jeopardy of losing his roster spot without a standout showing in the preseason. He spent almost all of 2016 on the practice squad after being a third round pick in 2015.
Cedric Peerman: Peerman is on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list with a hamstring injury. The running back and special teams ace cannot play until he’s medically cleared to do so.
Brandon Wilson: The rookie defensive back is also on NFI with a knee injury, suffered in his second NFL practice back during rookie minicamp. He cannot play until medically cleared to do so.