Bengals’ minor problem just got worse, and it may not even be their top concern by the end of the week
Cincinnati confirmed its rookie wide receiver will miss Sunday’s game against the Jaguars, and the safety position could be in even worse shape depending on Wednesday’s injury report.
Two positions are facing major depth issues on the Cincinnati Bengals’ roster entering Week 4.
Cincinnati lost rookie wide receiver Colbie Young to a knee injury on the offense’s first snap of Week 3’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Later in the game, veteran safeties Bryan Cook and Kyle Dugger each suffered injuries, the latter getting hurt after replacing the former.
At least one will miss Sunday’s matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the next few days will tell us how dire the situation will be at an already struggling spot.
How the Bengals got here at wide receiver
Young made his first-career start in Pittsburgh. He was playing for Andrei Iosivas, who was placed on the Reserve/Injured list the day prior. Iosivas will miss three more games with his thumb injury. The 24-year-old Young is confirmed to be out for at least this week.
“Colbie will miss this week,” coach Zac Taylor told reporters Monday. “We’ll gather more information to see how long that is. He’s the only one right now that I’ll rule out for this week.”
Dohnte Meyers replaced Young and finished the game as one of the top three receivers on offense. He will stay in that role for at least the next week. The greater concern is Ke’Shawn Williams is the only healthy backup wideout remaining on the 53-man roster. That may have to change with a practice squad elevation.
The Bengals put up 27 points and had a productive day through the air without Iosivas or Young. Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Mike Gesicki can still share the main targets, but the unit can’t afford to suffer many more injuries without a major impact to follow.
Safety could be the bigger concern
Wide receiver depth is a problem. The safety position might be a crisis.
Cook suffered an ankle injury in Pittsburgh and played only 19 snaps before exiting. Dugger replaced him but ended the game dealing with an injury of his own. Taylor grouped Cook and Dugger together as players the team will wait and evaluate on Wednesday when practice resumes.
Cincinnati’s defense struggled mightily against a Steelers offense that had been treading water entering the week. Jordan Battle, the only healthy safety in the top three of the depth chart, hauled in an interception but was a liability for most of the afternoon.
If the Bengals had to play tomorrow, it would be Battle and PJ Jules as the starting safeties against Jacksonville. That is not a recipe for success.
Cincinnati needs either Cook or Dugger to practice this week and eventually start Sunday. Without them, the Bengals would be scrambling to get competent play from Jules or forced to elevate Russ Yeast from the practice squad. Yeast has started NFL games in his career, but it has been a while since he has played significant snaps.
Wednesday’s injury report will tell us a lot
The first injury report of the week will be revealing. Cook and Dugger’s availability at practice Wednesday should give a clearer picture of what the Bengals’ secondary will look like against Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
You can safely slot Meyers in as a starter at wide receiver for this week. The safety situation is far less certain, and that uncertainty is the more pressing issue for a defense already searching for answers after Week 3.
