The Bengals are heading into Sunday’s AFC North trip to Pittsburgh with Joe Burrow in the clear, but the injury report still has a few names worth watching.
Burrow has stayed off the report all week after being questionable in Week 2 because of a back injury. That’s the good news for Cincinnati. The rest of the picture is a little murkier, especially along the defensive front.
Defensive tackle Jonathan Allen did not practice for a second straight day because of a knee issue. Zac Taylor described it as “load management,” which suggests the Bengals may simply be giving the veteran another day to rest. Even so, it’s a situation to keep an eye on as the week goes on, since Allen has been a key piece up front.
B.J. Hill also sat out again with an Achilles issue after missing Week 2. This was his second consecutive practice absence, and that leaves his status for Sunday very much unsettled.
Andrei Iosivas was listed as a nonparticipant for the second day in a row as well. Taylor has already said Iosivas will go on injured reserve, although the team has not made that move official yet.
On the Pittsburgh side, Joey Porter Jr. was limited Wednesday and Thursday because of conditioning. He and the Steelers have been at odds over a contract extension, but the signs point to him being available for what would be his 2026 debut, unless something changes.
Michael Pittman was limited too, dealing with a foot injury that could keep him out of the AFC clash. Friday will be important for his status.
Running back Jaylen Warren was also limited for the second straight day because of a shoulder issue.
In Other News...
Bengals Still Have One Awkward Flacco Question Hanging Over Them
Joe Flacco spent part of the week batting away a familiar kind of noise, this time tied to the New York Giants and the possibility of a move that would have thinned the Bengals' quarterback room. He said he has no reason to believe Cincinnati is looking to trade him, and for now he is operating exactly where the team has him, as the backup quarterback and a veteran option waiting in reserve.
Flacco also said trades can still surface out of nowhere, which is part of what keeps these rumors alive even when the player involved is trying not to entertain them. A few friends had fun with the idea of a reunion with Giants head coach John Harbaugh, but Flacco made clear those whispers are not grounded in anything real, leaving the Bengals with the quieter, more awkward question of how much longer this storyline lingers. [Read more 🡒]
JaMarr Chase Could Make Bengals History In Pittsburgh
JaMarr Chase is headed into Pittsburgh with another benchmark hanging in the balance, and it is the kind of milestone that says as much about his start as a pro as it does about what the Bengals have built around him. He is fewer than 80 yards from 7,000 for his career, a total that would underscore just how quickly he has become one of the leagues most productive receivers.
If Chase gets there in his 81st game, he would move into rare company and sit fourth all-time for fewest games needed to reach the mark, ahead of Jerry Rice and Randy Moss. For Cincinnati, it is one more reminder that every trip to the field with Chase carries history-watch potential, even before the bigger questions around the season or the matchup are fully sorted out. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Head To Pittsburgh With One Worry And One Huge Boost
Cincinnatis early-season start has come with the kind of uneven moments that can test a good locker room, and Joe Burrow made it clear this week that Orlando Brown Jr. wont be taking the heat alone for the protection issues that showed up in Week 2. Brown allowed three first-half sacks in the win over Houston, but Burrow pointed to the complexity of pass protection as the bigger picture, a reminder that the Bengals are still sorting through some moving parts even as they sit 2-0 after the 20-6 victory over the Texans.
The encouraging news for Cincinnati is that the defensive front keeps looking like a strength, with Jonathan Allen already up to two sacks and expected to be available in Week 3 despite a knee issue. His presence, along with Dexter Lawrence, gives the Bengals a legitimate edge up front as they head to Pittsburgh, where winning the line of scrimmage could matter just as much as any single matchup on the outside. [Read more 🡒]