The Bengals are suddenly looking for a new answer at tight end after Tanner Hudson was lost for the season with a pec injury, and the player getting the clearest look is Erick All Jr.
Hudson wasn’t on the field for a huge chunk of snaps, but he still mattered in the offense. He served as the second receiving tight end and, at times, effectively operated as a fourth receiver.
Over four games, he played roughly 69 snaps. The Bengals also found ways to use him creatively, including the touchdown catch against the Miami Dolphins, when the offense checked out of a heavy look, spread the formation and let Hudson win easily against a linebacker on a timing route.
Now the question is who takes over that role. Tight ends coach James Casey appears to have a lot of confidence in All, and that could be the direction Cincinnati leans.
The bigger issue is replacing the Noah Fant type of presence the Bengals seem to be missing - a tight end the team can trust as both a blocker and a pass catcher, so the offense doesn’t tip its hand. Whether All can become that player is the real test.
Another name to watch in that mix is rookie wide receiver Colbie Young, who also looks positioned to absorb some of Hudson’s snaps now that he appears healthy again after being injured on his first catch of the game in the team’s Week 3 loss.
Sunday’s game also looms large for Joe Burrow, who understands exactly what’s at stake. Moving to 4-3 is a very different place than slipping to 3-3 and 0-2 in the division.
On the Baltimore side, Lamar Jackson was back at practice, but his status for the Bengals game still isn’t settled. Seeing him out there may have initially encouraged Ravens fans, but the fact that he was later seen limping in the locker room and after practice is a worrying sign. How that situation develops through the week is still to be determined, but it is not an encouraging start.
Around the league, Burrow sits at No. 12 in the latest NFL QB rankings, at the bottom of Tier 2. The biggest jump came with C.J. Stroud climbing to No. 3 overall, behind only Josh Allen and Brock Purdy.
And in another NFL note, Jordan Elliott was released by the Titans after pulling out a gun in a parking lot, a move that followed what was described as “just an absolutely insane escalation here.” The player on the other side of the argument had said they would hang out outside of team activities before this and never had an argument leading up to it. There was also a separate quarterback change that was described as obvious, with the move coming after some garbage-time prevent defense stat padding and the expectation that a team trading draft capital for a quarterback midseason would start him sooner rather than later.
In Other News...
Bengals Head Into Ravens Test With One Defensive Problem To Fix
A familiar divisional test is waiting for Cincinnati in Week 7, and the defensive staff already has one issue circled. Al Golden pointed to perimeter run defense as the area that needs the most work after the Bengals gave up too many explosive outside runs through the first five games, a problem that can turn a routine snap into a long gain in a hurry. Against Baltimore, that kind of leak becomes even more dangerous because the Ravens are built to stretch defenses horizontally before attacking downhill.
Derrick Henry is the obvious stress point, and Cincinnati knows the game could tilt if it lets Baltimore dictate terms on the ground. Zac Taylor has also framed the matchup through the turnover battle, which adds another layer to a game that figures to be physical and possession-heavy. For the Bengals, the challenge is not just slowing one of the leagues most punishing backs, but doing it while cleaning up a run defense issue that has shown up too often already. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Trade Talk Is Suddenly Focusing On A More Realistic Fix
The Bengals running game has become a lingering concern, and it has put Chase Browns uneven season squarely in the spotlight as the trade deadline chatter starts to build. Jonathan Taylor is the obvious name to float if Cincinnati wants a bigger swing, but the more practical conversation has shifted toward other backs who could be available and better fit what the offense needs right now.
Among the alternatives being discussed are Omarion Hampton, Cam Skatterbo and Tony Pollard, each of them representing a different kind of fix for a ground game that has not found enough consistency. The appeal is not just talent, but realism: Cincinnati has to weigh who might actually be obtainable, who could help quickly and which move would make the most sense for a team trying to stabilize its offense without overreaching. [Read more 🡒]
Ja'Marr Chase Finally Opened Up About That Scary Bengals Injury
Ja'Marr Chase finally gave a clearer picture of the concussion that briefly took him off the field after the Bengals game against Jacksonville, and the detail helps explain why it looked so unsettling in real time. Speaking on a podcast, Chase described it as a whiplash-style injury caused by a twisting motion, the kind of hit that can leave a player feeling fine one moment and scrambled the next.
He also walked through the leagues concussion protocol and what the recovery week was like before he got back on the field against Miami. Chase said he had to stay away from screens and leaned on reading to pass the time, a small but telling reminder of how carefully these injuries are managed once a player is in the protocol. [Read more 🡒]