Bengals Place John Ross On IR
Receivers are dropping like flies. Just moments after we heard the Chargers were placing Dontrelle Inman on injured reserve, we got word of another wideout hitting the shelf. The Bengals are placing John Ross on IR, according to a tweet from Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic.
Dehner notes that the Bengals have promoted receiver Stanley Morgan from the practice squad in a corresponding roster move, and that it’s a sternocavicular injury for Ross. We heard yesterday that Ross was going to miss some time, but it was initially reported as something that would sideline him for around a month. Now, he’ll have to miss the next eight weeks at least. On the bright side Ross is expected back this season, and the injury had about a six-week timetable but the Bengals wanted to give him extra rest, tweets Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.
It’s a tough blow for Ross, and for the Bengals’ offense. The ninth overall pick of the 2017 draft, who had been written off by many as a bust, was finally starting to make an impact. Injuries and a lack of trust from Marvin Lewis had plagued Ross’ first two years in Cincy, but he had 270 yards through the first two games of this season and was starting to look like the elite deep threat he was supposed to be.
With A.J. Green still not set to return anytime soon, the Bengals’ 0-4 offense is in dire circumstances. Second-year seventh-round pick Auden Tate will now be asked to play a big role moving forward. Morgan is an undrafted rookie from Nebraska who was waived at final cuts.
John Ross To Miss Multiple Games
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before, but John Ross is going to be missing time with a significant injury. The talented but oft-hurt receiver will miss multiple games due to a shoulder injury he suffered on Monday Night Football against the Steelers, sources told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).
Garafolo notes that his time on the sidelines “could be in the range of a month or so.” It’s devastating news for Ross, as he was finally starting to come on strong. Injuries have plagued the ninth overall pick of the 2017 draft during his football career, dating all the way back to an ACL tear he suffered in college. Knee and shoulder issues limited him as a rookie, and he ended up in Marvin Lewis’ doghouse.
Ross was frequently a healthy scratch under Lewis as a rookie, and after an underwhelming sophomore season, many people labeled him a bust. He reportedly had a strong offseason, and started to thrive in new coach Zac Taylor’s system. He had 270 yards receiving and three touchdowns through the first two weeks of the season, and looked like the blazing fast deep threat he was always supposed to be coming into the league.
Now, it’s yet another setback for the Washington product. It’s also the last thing this Bengals team needed, as their offense looked terrible on Monday night in a 27-3 loss to Pittsburgh. A.J. Green doesn’t look like he’s particularly close to returning from his ankle injury, so Cincinnati’s receiving corp will be very thin moving forward. They’ll be leaning heavily on Tyler Boyd moving forward. Taylor’s tenure has gotten off to a disastrous start, as the Bengals are now 0-4. He’ll try to pick up his first win as a head coach in Week 5 against the Cardinals.
A.J. Green To Miss More Games
The Bengals will have to wait a little bit longer to get A.J. Green back on the field. The Bengals’ star wide receiver will miss at least another two weeks as he recovers from his ankle injury, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com hears. 
The Bengals opted against placing Green on injured reserve this year, believing that he would be able to return sooner than the mandatory eight weeks. It sounds like Green can still beat the half-season timetable, though he might cut it close. The Bengals are already four weeks into the season and Green will not be able to take the field until Week 7, at the earliest.
There’s also this to consider – the Bengals have a Week 9 bye, so there might be wisdom in holding Green out for a bit longer. At minimum, Green will be absent for tonight’s game against the Steelers, next week against the Cardinals, and the following contest against the Ravens. After that, Green will be re-evaluated to find out whether he can play against the Jaguars on October 20.
Green may also want to take his personal football future and finances into consideration. The two sides were unable to reach agreement on a contract extension this offseason, meaning that he is still ticketed for free agency in March.
Green, one of the game’s most talented wide receivers, finished out 2018 with career low totals of 46 grabs for 694 yards. Without Green, the Bengals are 0-3 thus far in 2019.
Bengals Sign CB Torry McTyer Off Chiefs’ Practice Squad
Torry McTyer will return to an NFL active roster. The Bengals will bring the third-year cornerback to their 53-man roster, plucking him off the Chiefs’ practice squad, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
The Bengals placed cornerback Darius Phillips on IR to make room for McTyer’s arrival. The latter spent three-plus weeks on Kansas City’s practice squad, arriving in western Missouri after the Dolphins waived him on cutdown weekend.
A more committed Dolphins team used McTyer in 15 games last season, deploying the UNLV-produced defender as a starter in four 2018 games. Overall, McTyer has played in 22 NFL contests since arriving as a 2017 Dolphins UDFA.
Phillips has played in 18 Bengals games since arriving in Cincinnati as a 2018 fifth-round pick. A knee injury will send Phillips to IR, though the Bengals view the backup corner — who notched his first career interception in Week 3 — as a possible return candidate later this season, per The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. (Twitter link).
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/25/19
Here are today’s minor moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Greg Mabin
- Waived: G Keaton Sutherland
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Isaiah Ford
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on IR: TE Xavier Grimble
Washington Redskins
- Signed: TE Jerome Cunningham
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/24/19
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad decisions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: P Ryan Winslow
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: TE Carson Meier
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: LB Nate Hall
- Released: LB Curtis Akins
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: T Matt Kaskey
- Released: G Rishard Cook
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: CB Greg Mabin
- Released: RB Jordan Ellis
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Trinity Benson
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Chris Lacy
- Released: RB Nick Brossette
Houston Texans
- Signed: WR Tyron Johnson
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Deante Burton
- Released: RB Darius Jackson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DB Alexander Myres
- Released: DB Trevon Mathis
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Ishmael Hyman
Only Bucs, Bengals Offered Shaq Barrett
- While no one obviously expected Shaquil Barrett‘s virtuoso start, only two teams even submitted contract offers this offseason. In addition to the Bucs’ one-year, $4MM deal, the Bengals also offered Barrett a contract, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com notes. Barrett visited the Bengals but did not meet with the Bucs before his agreement. A four-year backup in Denver, Barrett sought a starting role in free agency. He’s found one, and his eight sacks through three games match an NFL record. It’s early, but the former UDFA who began his career at a now-defunct Division II program is putting himself in position for a major payday — either via Bucs extension or as a 2020 free agent.
- The Bengals worked out some defensive backs on Tuesday. Cornerbacks Greg Mabin, Picasso Nelson and Deatrick Nichols joined corner/safety Briean Boddy-Calhoun in auditioning for the team, per the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter).
No Return Timetable For A.J. Green
A.J. Green‘s initial timetable pointed to a return at some point during the Bengals’ September slate, and the Pro Bowl wide receiver expressed optimism earlier this month. But Green will not return for Week 4, and Zac Taylor indicated (via the Cincinnati Enquirer’s John Fay) he does not expect the veteran wideout to practice this week.
Green suffered an ankle injury, one that required a minor surgery, on July 27. At first, a six- to eight-week recovery timetable surfaced, with Taylor then saying “a couple” missed games was a likely scenario. Week 5 would stand to be Green’s earliest return date, but no practices leading up to Week 4 do not represent a good sign for that prospect.
“He’s certainly turned in the right direction. I don’t want to give any timeline – next week, the week after, week after that,” Taylor said. “It will be exciting when we get him back.”
The ninth-year receiver shed his walking boot barely six weeks after the injury, so this may not be cause for alarm yet. The Bengals opted not to place Green on IR. To justify this decision, the 31-year-old standout would need to return in the next couple of weeks.
The Bengals are 0-3 without Green this season and were 1-6 without him in 2018. By next week, Green will have missed 17 of Cincinnati’s past 42 games. Prior to Green’s latest injury, both sides sought an extension. But nothing has emerged on that front in months; the Bengals surely want to see if Green can stay healthy when he returns.
NFL Waiver Priority For Week 4
Starting today, the NFL’s waiver claim order will be reflective of 2019 records, rather than 2018, as ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets. As is the case with the NFL Draft, the order of priority is inverted based on win/loss record.
[RELATED: The NFL’s Waiver System, Explained]
In cases of ties – and there are many at this stage of the season – they are broken by the cumulative record of the team’s previous opponents. For example, the Redskins and Broncos’ (0-3) opponents have a combined record of 6-3, they have priority over the Jets, whose opponents are 7-2. If two teams with the same record, and same opponent record, happen to claim the same player, the dispute is settled with a coin toss (h/t to Field).
With that in mind, and with serious help from Sam Robinson, here’s the full rundown of every team’s current waiver priority as we get set for Week 4:
T-1. Broncos (0-3)
T-1. Redskins (0-3)
3. Jets (0-3)
T-4. Bengals (0-3)
T-4. Dolphins (0-3)
T-4. Steelers (0-3)
7. Cardinals (0-2-1)
8. Eagles (1-2)
T-9. Browns (1-2)
T-9. Titans (1-2)
11. Panthers (1-2)
T-12. Buccaneers (1-2)
T-12. Falcons (1-2)
T-12. Raiders (1-2)
15. Jaguars (1-2)
16. Chargers (1-2)
17. Giants (1-2)
T-18. Colts (2-1)
T-18. Bears (2-1)
20. Ravens (2-1)
21. Texans (2-1)
T-22. Seahawks (2-1)
T-22. Vikings (2-1)
24. Saints (2-1)
25. Lions (2-0-1)
26. Patriots (3-0)
T-27. 49ers (3-0)
T-27. Bills (3-0)
T-27. Cowboys (3-0)
30. Rams (3-0)
31. Chiefs (3-0)
32. Packers (3-0)
Ben Roethlisberger Expected To Make Full Recovery
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has vowed to return to the field, and to that end, the two-time Super Bowl champ will undergo his season-ending elbow surgery this week, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports.
Luckily for Roethlisberger, he will not require Tommy John surgery, so Schefter’s sources say there is no concern about the signal-caller’s availability for 2020. “There is complete optimism that he will be ready to roll next season,” one source said. “No one is concerned that next year is going to be a problem.”
Although Schefter says the exact nature of Roethlisberger’s elbow injury remains unclear, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that the procedure will repair a muscle tear and does not involve any ligaments or tendons (which is in keeping with the report that TJ surgery is not required). JLC adds Big Ben’s recovery plan will include throwing in the spring.
In the meantime, Pittsburgh is not throwing in the towel on the 2019 campaign, as evidenced by the team’s trade for Minkah Fitzpatrick earlier this week. The club has expressed full confidence in second-year QB Mason Rudolph, and both La Canfora (in a separate piece) and Schefter remind us that the Steelers were so enamored with Rudolph — and so convinced that the division-rival Bengals were locked in on him — that they leapfrogged Cincinnati in the third round of the 2018 draft to select him. At the time, then-Bengals HC Marvin Lewis said he felt as though the Steelers had bugged the Bengals’ war room.
In fact, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Steelers had a first-round grade on Rudolph, which is why they believe they can remain competitive this season.