Bengals cut Garrett Nelson from practice squad to make room for AJ McCarron

The Cincinnati Bengals have signed quarterback AJ McCarron to the practice squad, the team announced Saturday.

In a corresponding move, the Bengals released defensive end Garrett Nelson from the practice squad.

Nelson, a rookie out of Nebraska, was signed to the Bengals’ practice squad on September 5th. He was initially signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent following the 2023 NFL Draft, then waived following the preseason before joining the Bengals’ practice squad.

McCarron, a ninth-year player out of Alabama, was originally a fifth-round pick of the Bengals in 2014. He’s played in 17 career regular-season games (four starts( for Cincinnati (2015-17), the Oakland Raiders (‘18), and the Houston Texans (‘19-20), completing 109/174 passes for 1,173 yards and six touchdowns.

Additionally, McCarron started nine games for the St. Louis Battlehawks of the XFL during the 2023 season.

The Bengals’ practice squad is now at the 16-player limit.