Bengals activate tight end Mitchell Wilcox off PUP list

The Cincinnati Bengals have cleared tight end Mitchell Wilcox to practice and removed him from the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list. Wilcox, a fourth-year player in 2023, had been placed on the Active/PUP list on July 24, the same day the Bengals re-signed him to a one-year deal.  Wilcox was an important player for the […]

John Sheeran Cincinnati Bengals News Writer
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The Cincinnati Bengals have cleared tight end Mitchell Wilcox to practice and removed him from the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list.

Wilcox, a fourth-year player in 2023, had been placed on the Active/PUP list on July 24, the same day the Bengals re-signed him to a one-year deal. 

Wilcox was an important player for the Bengals in 2022, logging a career-high 566 snaps on offense as the No. 2 tight end while starting four games for an injured Hayden Hurst. He posted 17 receptions for 139 yards and a touchdown in the regular season, and added two more receptions for 19 yards in the postseason. 

Despite having his most productive NFL season, Wilcox remained unsigned by any NFL team throughout the majority of the offseason because of his injury that took him out of the first month of training camp.  

The Bengals now have all seven of their tight ends on the active roster with Wilcox cleared to practice, and this can create a needed injection of competition at the position. Aside from Irv Smith Jr., no tight end in Cincinnati is a lock to make the Week 1 roster, and Wilcox's experience in the offense and as a core special teamer (597 career snaps) may give him an edge when final cuts come around.

Wilcox's return is better late than never. We'll see how quickly he gets integrated into practice this week.

Featured image via © Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports