Duke Tobin confirms suspicion about Bengals tight end Erick All Jr. ahead of training camp
The Cincinnati Bengals are officially ready to let tight end Erick All Jr. loose. Director of player personnel Duke Tobin announced Monday that All has been fully cleared to practice at the start of training camp.
The Cincinnati Bengals are officially ready to let tight end Erick All Jr. loose.
Director of player personnel Duke Tobin announced Monday that All has been fully cleared to practice at the start of training camp. He’s nearly two years removed from re-tearing his ACL during his rookie season in 2024.
All signs pointed to All getting good news
All was notably not placed on an injury list upon reporting to camp. That stood in contrast to veteran defensive tackle B.J. Hill and rookie tight end Josh Kattus, both of whom landed on lists when they reported. The omission was the first real indicator that All status had progressed to this point.
The 25-year old was also an active member of Cincinnati’s offseason workout program and has said he feels as good as he did before the original ACL injury back at Iowa. That’s significant for a player who hasn’t played football in over 18 months.
Tobin did note All will be part of a progression plan when camp gets underway. That measured approach makes sense given how long it has been since All played. He missed all of 2025 recovering from the procedure and hasn’t logged a complete season since 2021. He suffered a back injury at Michigan in 2022, and originally tore his ACL at Iowa in 2023.
What All’s return means for the tight end room
All’s clearance carries roster implications beyond his own availability. He profiles as the most well-rounded player in the Bengals’ tight end group, complementing one-dimensional starters Drew Sample and Mike Gesicki. All’s well-roundedness at the position gives the coaching staff a different kind of weapon to deploy, and it makes the position battle heading into the season far more competitive.
The TE room is crowded. Underneath Sample, Gesicki, and All is veteran Tanner Hudson sticking around. Cam Grandy is also still in the mix, and seventh-round pick Jack Endries enters the picture as a motivated late-round selection. It will create difficult roster decisions for Cincinnati’s coaching staff when cuts arrive in late August.
All’s health is the driving force behind that logjam. A fully healthy version of the third-year player changes the calculus for every other player in the room, and getting him back on the field for the first time since 2024 is a meaningful development for the Bengals offense heading into the season.