Bengals must now turn to rookie preseason standout after devastating injury forces their hand
Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tanner Hudson may’ve played his last snap of 2026. A torn pectoral is going to place Hudson on the Reserve/Injured list, giving rookie seventh-round pick Jack Endries a chance to prove himself.
Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tanner Hudson may’ve played his last snap of 2026.
WLWT’s Charlie Clifford reports Hudson is expected to miss the remainder of the season with a torn pectoral.
Hudson incurred the injury late in Cincinnati’s 31-24 victory over the Miami Dolphins while playing special teams. Hudson also caught three passes for 14 yards and a touchdown in the win.
Bengals’ tight end depth receives first real test
The Bengals did not begin the regular season with Hudson on the active roster. The 31-year-old was released during final cuts and then added back to the practice squad. He was elevated off the practice squad twice in the first three weeks before being signed back to the active roster in Week 4, giving Cincinnati five TEs to work with.
That number has now dropped down to four, right back where it started a month ago.
Hudson played 26.3% of the offensive snaps of the four games he played in. He’s not a starter or a significant factor of the passing game, but those snaps do need to be replaced to some degree. He was also an active special teams player, repping 50 snaps on multiple units.
It’s next man up for the Bengals, and the next man is obvious.
Jack Endries’ time to shine
Cincinnati can turn to rookie Jack Endries, the first of the club’s two seventh-round picks from this year’s NFL Draft. Endries made the 53-man roster after an impressive preseason in which he caught six receptions for 43 yards and a TD, but has been inactive for most of the regular season thus far.
That is expected to change after the bye week.
The Bengals have been leaning on using four tight ends every single game. There is no one on the practice squad for them to elevate. It’s possible that a practice squad signing does come out of this, but Endries will have his shot to replace Hudson full-time.
In the games Endries has played, he was only used on special teams. He’s taken 19 snaps there, giving the coaching staff a base to worth with in replacing Hudson’s role.
Expect Hudson to be placed on the Reserve/Injured list in the coming days, and for a subsequent move to follow. Cincinnati can activate either rookie guard Brian Parker II, or cornerback Ja’Sir Taylor off I.R. to fill Hudson’s roster spot, or simply sign a player off the practice squad, or an external player.
