The Cincinnati Bengals officially have an injury problem on their hands before the NFL trade deadline.
Quietly, during the Week 8 win over the Tennessee Titans, the Bengals suffered some notable injury losses that could impact an entire unit.
And we’re not just talking about the concerning injury for DJ Turner.
There, both defensive ends Cashius Howell and Cedric Johnson were immediately ruled out for the game after suffering injuries.
For Johnson, it was an ankle injury. For the explosive rookie Howell, it was a wrist injury.
It’s a sudden one-two punch for the Bengals at the EDGE spot that had some really strong depth. Myles Murphy and Boye Mafe are the starters, with Shemar Stewart capable of stepping up when asked.
Stewart, though, is the former
first-rounder who was a healthy scratch two games ago. Coaches didn’t trust him to be active as the fourth or fifth EDGE, so while they will say they’re confident in him to step up this week, it’s pretty telling that they need to find some outside help.
The Bengals also have Isaiah Foskey and Garmon Randolph on the practice squad. But the dip in quality would be notable for a rotation whose strength has been its top-to-bottom consistency.
A trade or even waiver wire addition wouldn’t need to be a blockbuster. But even a small trade for a veteran who can still push Stewart for snaps would be ideal as the Bengals seek to stay efficient and fresh into the winter.
There are other problem areas. One could argue the Bengals need help at linebacker and now cornerback, too. But if the line up front struggles and there’s a dip in pressure, the entire unit will suffer, so that becomes the priority now.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals rookie injury vs. Titans makes Cincy buyers at trade deadline
