3 Bengals players will have to quickly overcome new injuries in order to play their former team next week
Cincinnati has a few more injuries to monitor this week.
The Cincinnati Bengals were banged up on the defensive side of the ball entering Sunday, and they left with more scars on offense.
Right guard Dalton Risner (calf), running back Samaje Perine (thumb), and tight end Noah Fant (concussion) all exited the team’s 48-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings with their respective injuries.
All three of those names have plenty of incentive to recover quickly as Cincinnati’s next opponent all rostered them in previous years.
Bengals vs. Broncos is a revenge game for three injured players
The Bengals will be on the road next week to face the Denver Broncos on “Monday Night Football.”
Denver happened to draft both Fant and Risner in the first and second rounds, respectively, of the 2019 NFL Draft. Fant was sent to the Seattle Seahawks in 2022 as part of the Russell Wilson blockbuster trade. Risner left the club as a free agent in 2023 and joined the Vikings, so Sunday was also a revenge game for him.
Perine was signed by the Broncos as a free agent in 2023 after spending the previous four years with the Bengals. He only played a year in Denver despite signing a two-year contract.
All three players have faced the Broncos since their initial departure, and now all three are key teammates in Cincinnati’s offense. Fant and Perine are critical role players as ancillary pass-blockers and receiving options. Risner is the starter between center Ted Karras and right tackle Amarius Mims along the offensive line, while Lucas Patrick rests on the Reserve/Injured list.
It’s questionable if all three can play next Monday night. Risner, according to head coach Zac Taylor, could’ve returned against Minnesota if needed. The game was already pretty out of hand by the time he left, so it wasn’t a surprise to see him be shut down for the day. Perine left the game shortly after he fumbled in the second quarter.
Fant is the name to watch for since he will enter the concussion protocol. Most players require more than just a week to complete all stages of the protocol, which involves practices and passing tests. It’s helpful that he’ll have an extra day to get through it, but it’s certainly not a given that he will in time.
The Bengals will return to practice on Thursday, and all three players should be expected on the injury report.
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