The Bengals may have found themselves a timely opening at tight end.
With Tanner Hudson headed to IR after suffering a torn pec in Cincinnati’s win over the Dolphins, the offense loses one of Joe Burrow’s most trusted safety valves. Hudson’s season is over, and that leaves the Bengals thinner at a spot that already had some questions hanging over it.
That’s where Jack Endries comes in.
The former Texas tight end was taken by Cincinnati in the seventh round of this spring’s draft, made the 53-man roster, and has been waiting for his chance. So far, he hasn’t logged an offensive snap this season, instead seeing only a handful of special-teams appearances. But he did flash during the preseason, when he caught six passes for 43 yards and a touchdown.
With Erick All still not quite clicking, Endries now has a real opening to force his way onto the field.
Elsewhere, Amarius Mims had another shoe issue pop up in the win over Miami, and he didn’t hide how strange it felt.
“It’s crazy because that was the second I pair busted open, but that was my first time wearing the shoe,” Mims told WLWT’s Jaron May after the game. “Like I just got these in literally before we left for Miami, before we got on the plane, and I wore them.
I looked down, man. My shoes are talking, man.
My big toe. I see my big toe.
I said, ‘Oh God, man, it’s not good.’
In the backfield, the Bengals showed a little more willingness to ride the hot hand. On Sunday in Miami, Samaje Perine got 14 carries to Chase Brown’s 13. Brown entered the season as the clear RB1 and still looked like the lead option early on, but that picture may be shifting.
Offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher sees it as more fluid now, especially as the Bengals lean more on shotgun looks, which fits Perine well.
That split also drew a strong reaction from Ted Karras, who had a simple read on Perine’s style.
“I wouldn’t want to tackle (Perine),” Karras said. “When we get into our gun 11 (personnel) runs, Chase and Samaje both bring unique stuff where Chase can find a hole and hit it at 20 miles per hour. Samaje, even if you don’t get to the linebacker, he is running through it and going to take him 2, 3 yards to tackle him.”
And one familiar quarterback face has now landed elsewhere. Jake Browning, who once helped keep Cincinnati’s playoff hopes alive while Burrow was rehabbing from injury, is gone from the depth chart. Joe Flacco is now the backup quarterback, and Browning has signed with the Chargers.
In Other News...
Justin Herbert Questions Grow After Chargers Make Sudden QB Move
The Chargers are making a change behind center ahead of Sundays game against the Chiefs, adding veteran Jake Browning to the roster as Justin Herberts season continues to draw scrutiny. Herberts play has fueled plenty of outside questions in 2026, and any quarterback move in Los Angeles naturally sends ripples through the rest of the league, especially for a division-rival audience watching how firmly the Chargers are willing to stand behind their starter.
For all the noise around Herbert, the teams stance has been much less dramatic than the speculation suggests. Los Angeles has not discussed trading him, and the idea was never considered internally, even as the performance questions keep piling up. Brownings arrival adds another layer to the conversation, but it does not appear to have changed the Chargers basic view of Herbert, at least for now. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Finally Have Reason To Feel Better About Burrow Up Front
The bye week has given Cincinnati a little extra time to appreciate one of the quieter reasons the season has stabilized: Joe Burrow has been getting better protection up front. Coming off a 31-24 win over the Miami Dolphins, the Bengals can point to an offensive line that has held up well enough to keep the passing game humming and let Burrow work effectively in the red zone, where he threw four touchdown passes in the victory.
For a team that has spent plenty of recent seasons worrying about life in the pocket, that matters. The bigger picture is still mixed, with the defense continuing to raise concerns, but the front five has at least given Cincinnati a sturdier foundation than it has had at times in the past. In a season where margin for error remains slim, the Bengals have reason to feel better about how Burrow is being protected, even if the larger questions around the roster are still waiting on answers. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Bye Week Just Put One Defensive Need Front And Center
The win over Miami offered a reminder of why Cincinnati can still feel dangerous when Joe Burrow is rolling and Jordan Battle is making plays, but it also left the secondary conversation hanging in plain sight. Even in a game the Bengals controlled, the defense gave up too much on the ground, and the back end still looks like the spot that could use the most attention as the season settles into its next phase.
With the Week 6 bye in front of them, the Bengals have a rare chance to address that issue before the schedule stiffens again. The ideal move would be one that adds both experience and size to the defensive backfield, and Tampa Bay has a corner who checks those boxes while having started every game so far this season. For a team trying to keep pace in a crowded AFC race, this is the sort of window front offices are built to use. [Read more 🡒]