Bengals vs. Browns injury report: Cam Sample DNP; Chris Evans limited

Eight games down, nine to go.

The Cincinnati Bengals are approaching their midseason point of 2021. That will technically occur at halftime of Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns, courtesy of the new 17-game format.

While these two rival squads have similar records thus far, they’re on opposite points of the injury spectrum right now.

For the Bengals, only one player missed Wednesday’s practice due to injury as Cam Sample (knee) did not participate. Head coach Zac Taylor said Sample will practice Thursday. Trey Hopkins had his usual rest day.

Both Chris Evans (hamstring) and Auden Tate (thigh) were inactive for Cincinnati’s loss to the New York Jets, but they were limited in the team’s first practice of the week. Evans will most likely be limited Thursday as well, so it may come down to how he feels Friday if he can play or not.

The interior offensive line is really thin at the moment, so Jackson Carman (back) being a full participant is great news. Carman left right before the conclusion of Sunday’s loss holding his back but was able to walk off the field. Taylor originally labeled him as day-to-day, but it doesn’t like he’ll miss any practice unless he suffers a setback.

The Browns are banged up, as they have been for weeks now. On Wednesday, eight players did not practice, including Odell Beckham Jr., who may have played his last game in a Browns uniform.

DE Jadeveon Clowney (ankle/knee/hip), RT Jack Conklin (elbow), DT Malik Jackson (ankle), S John Johnson III (neck), WR Jarvis Landry (knee), DT Malik McDowell (illness), and DE Takkarist McKinley (groin) all did not practice. Conklin is expected to be out for multiple weeks, so he’s not playing Sunday for sure. The rest could play if they end up practicing, but that’s for us to find out later this week.

CB A.J. Green (groin), DE Joe Jackson (shoulder), WR Donovan Peoples-Jones (WR), C JC Tretter (knee), CB Denzel Ward (hamstring), and LT Jedrick Wills (ankle) were limited Wednesday. Out of all the players listed above, McKinley, Green, Peoples-Jones, and Ward did not play in Cleveland’s game this past Sunday.

Baker Mayfield (left shoulder) did play, as he returned from a one-week hiatus. He’s not going to be 100% any time soon, but he is playing through his ailment. Mayfield and TE David Njoku (neck) were both full participants Wednesday.

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