Bengals give Tycen Anderson IR-return designation

The Cincinnati Bengals have cleared safety Tycen Anderson to return to practice by designating him for return from the Injured Reserve list, the team announced Wednesday.

Anderson, a rookie out of the University of Toledo, has been on IR since September 2nd with a hamstring injury. Today starts a 21-day period during which he may practice with the team without counting against the 53-man roster. He is eligible to be activated to the roster at any time during that period.

The 6-foot-2, 209-pound Anderson was taken in the fifth round (166th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft. The Bengals traded with the Chicago Bears to move up eight spots for Anderson, which was actually the third-largest trade up in franchise history.

Anderson finished his collegiate career with 233 tackles, nine tackles for loss, two interceptions, 16 pass deflections, and two forced fumbles. He had 44 tackles, two tackles for loss, two pass defenses and one sack in the 2021 season.

The Bengals have two standout safeties in Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell, but both are free agents after this season. And behind those two are only Michael Thomas and Dax Hill, the latter of which has had to play a lot of cornerback due to injuries there, so this position is just one injury away from becoming dangerously thin.

Getting another true safety on the 53-man roster for added depth is a wise move, though it remains to be seen how effective Anderson can be after missing the entire regular season.