The Bengals have suffered one season-ending injury since the start of training camp and a number of minor injuries.
With the first preseason game days away (Thursday, 7:00 p.m. ET vs. Bears) it’s time for an injury update.
Offensive guard Rod Taylor: Tore his right ACL and is done for the year.
Nose tackle Josh Tupou: Sprained his MCL and is “probably out a month,” per Bengals.com.
Cornerback Sojourn Shelton: Tore a thumb ligament and broke a bone in his hand. He’s been seen in a cast and could be out as long as two months, completely jeopardizing his potential to make the 53-man roster, while already being a long shot.
Wide receiver Josh Malone: The second year receiver had a great start to training camp but has been sidelined for about a week with a leg injury, thought to be to his hamstring. There’s no timeline for his return.
Wide receiver Auden Tate: Tate entered the concussion protocol on August 1 and was seen watching practice on August 3. It seems he should be back in the fold pretty soon, though he needs to fully clear the protocol first.
Quarterback Logan Woodside: Woodside hasn’t participated since the first few days of camp with what the Enquirer is referring to as a hamstring injury. He’s falling far behind in the quarterback competition and his roster hopes are incredibly small. He could land on the practice squad this year.
Cornerback Tony McRae: Part of the reason why the Bengals signed cornerback C.J. Goodwin is because of the injuries at the cornerback position. McRae is dealing with a right ankle injury, the extent of which is unknown. He also has slim roster chances and needs to get back on the field quickly to make an impression on the coaching staff.
Cornerback Darius Phillips: Another injured cornerback, Phillips’ issue is unknown, but it’s a recent development that also paved way to the Goodwin signing.
Defensive tackle Andrew Brown: On the same day Tupou was carted off the field with his MCL injury, Brown suffered a hamstring injury. He didn’t leave practice, but sat on the side with ice on his hamstring. That was on August 1 and Brown hasn’t practiced since. The rookie fifth round pick is part of a heated competition at defensive tackle and needs to get back on-the-field as soon as possible.
Linebacker Vontaze Burfict: The oft-troubled linebacker has yet to participate in training camp with what’s thought to be a hamstring injury. It’s unfortunate as he’ll be departing the team for four weeks at the start of the regular season for a performance enhancing drug suspension. He’s currently on the Non-Football Injury list, meaning his injury occurred away from the team.
Offensive guard Clint Boling: After being limited on Friday, Boling participated in Saturday’s scrimmage and seems to be fine. It appears he was just getting a partial rest day during a fully padded practice.