Bengals put Devonnsha Maxwell on IR

The Cincinnati Bengals today placed defensive tackle Devonnsha Maxwell on the Reserve/Injured list with a right knee injury, the team announced Monday.

Maxwell, a rookie out of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, signed with the Bengals as a college free agent in May. He was viewed as one of the team’s top UDFA signings this year.

The 6-foot-2, 297-pound Maxwell was actually given a draftable grade by NFL.com after racking up 37.5 career sacks. He looked like a good candidate to make the practice squad and give the Bengals some depth at defensive tackle. Heading into 2024, current defensive tackles D.J. Reader and Josh Tupou are slated to become free agents.

Alas, Maxwell’s rookie season is over before it ever really began. Unless he’s waived from IR, he is ineligible to play at any point during the 2023 season.

Here’s to hoping we see Maxwell back on the field next year.