Bengals DE Wyatt Hubert Announces Retirement
One of the members of Cincinnati’s extremely successful 10-man 2021 rookie class has unfortunately decided to walk away from football. In a tweet this afternoon, Bengals defensive end Wyatt Hubert cited his physical health as the root cause of his retirement. 
“Unfortunately I have dealt with many injuries that have taken a permanent toll on my game, body, and performance on the field,” Hubert elaborated. “This decision has been difficult and humbling as I have been blessed to have made it to the NFL and be drafted by a great organization in the Cincinnati Bengals.”
Hubert never made it to the field at the NFL-level. In college, Hubert was a key contributor at Kansas State, starting about 2.5 of the 4 seasons he spent in Manhattan. After redshirting his first year, Hubert started seven of twelve games as a redshirt freshman ranking third in the nation among freshman in sacks per game. He started every remaining college game of his career after that, earning first team All Big 12 honors after leading the Wildcats in tackles for loss (12.5) and sacks (7.0) as a redshirt sophomore.
Despite playing in two fewer games as a redshirt junior, Hubert increased his career highs with 13.0 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks, good enough to earn him a second-consecutive year on the All Big 12 first team. As the only unanimous first team All Big 12 selection on defense, Hubert also earned votes as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year.
His two-year run of success led him to forgo his final year of college eligibility and declare for the 2021 NFL Draft. Hubert was selected by Cincinnati in the seventh-round, but suffered a torn pectoral muscle before the season began, landing him on the reserve/non-football injury list.
A year later, it seems injuries like that have taken their toll on the 24-year-old, influencing him to change his career path before it harms him beyond repair. While the Bengals never got the privilege of seeing his contributions on the field, those who watched him rock the royal purple in college, know what a loss Cincinnati’s defense has suffered.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/10/22
Today’s minor moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Activated from NFI: OL La’el Collins
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: RB JaQuan Hardy
- Placed on IR: WR Jakeem Grant (story), LB Silas Kelly
Denver Broncos
- Signed: RB JaQuan Hardy, RB Stevie Scott
- Waived/injured: RB Tyreik McAllister
- Placed on IR: OLB Christopher Allen
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: S Micah Abernathy, RB Dexter Williams
- Released: LS Steven Wirtel
- Waived/injured: WR Osirus Mitchell
Houston Texans
- Signed: RB B.J. Emmons
- Placed on IR: RB Darius Anderson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: DL Auzoyah Alufohai
- Waived/injured: DL Jeremiah Ledbetter
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: WR Chris Lacy
- Released: WR Jordan Veasy
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: RB DeAndre Torrey
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Claimed off waivers (from Jets): DE Hamilcar Rashed
- Waived/injured: LB Ulysees Gilbert
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Jameson Houston
- Waived: OL Keenan Forbes
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on IR: S Michael Griffin II
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/7/22
We will keep track of today’s minor moves right here:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DL Abdullah Anderson
- Placed on IR: DL Vincent Taylor
Buffalo Bills
- Activated from active/NFI list: G Rodger Saffold
Chicago Bears
- Placed on IR: LB Christian Albright (from waived/injured)
- Waived/injured: LB C.J. Avery
Cincinnati Bengals
- Activated from active/PUP list: DE Khalid Kareem
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from active/NFI list: CB Keisean Nixon
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: RB Matt Colburn
- Waived/injured: RB Nathan Cottrell
New York Giants
- Signed: OL Eric Smith
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: OT Jarrid Williams
Washington Commanders
- Signed: TE Eli Wolf, S Steven Parker
- Released: QB Cole Kelley, LB Bryce Notree
- Waived/injured: WR Jequez Ezzard
Saffold landed on the NFI list after injuring his ribs in a car accident. Getting their starting left guard back sooner rather than later is an important development for the Bills.
Colburn will take the place of Cottrell in the Jags’ RB room. The Wake Forest product played in four games for the USFL’s Philadelphia Stars this year, garnering 102 rushes for 457 yards (just under 4.5 YPC) and eight scores.
Cottrell has seen action in each of the past two years for Jacksonville, returning seven kicks in 2020 and handling one carry in 2021.
Wolf and Parker get preseason roster positions after successful workouts yesterday. The Commanders are looking for depth at both positions as they work towards a 53-man roster.
Drew Sample Suffers Knee Injury
- With C.J. Uzomah out of the picture, Drew Sample‘s Bengals role figures to expand a bit. But the defending AFC champions will be without Sample for a bit. Sample suffered a knee injury recently, and although Zac Taylor said the fourth-year pass catcher will likely be out multiple weeks, ESPN.com’s Ben Baby tweets. Sample may be dealing with an MCL sprain, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The Bengals have Sample, a former second-round pick in a contract year, and signed former first-rounder Hayden Hurst to replace Uzomah.
Injury Updates: Patriots, Burrow, Poyer, Giants, Falcons
James White remains without a return timetable. The veteran is still sidelined following hip surgery, and Jeff Howe of The Athletic tweets that it’s uncertain when the long-time Patriots RB will return to the field.
The longest-tenured member of the Patriots offense could ultimately land on PUP, but Howe notes that the organization will wait a few more weeks to evaluate White’s progress. The RB suffered a hip subluxation injury last September, limiting him to only three games during the 2021 season. White had 496 yards from scrimmage during his first non-Tom Brady season in 2020, but he topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage in both 2019 and 2018.
Fortunately for the Patriots, the organization still has Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson atop their depth chart, but it’s tough to replace the pass-catching prowess of White. The organization also used a pair of draft picks on RBs Pierre Strong Jr. (fourth round) and Kevin Harris (sixth round).
More injury notes from around the NFL…
- Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow had an appendectomy last week, and it’s unlikely we see him until the regular season. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Burrow likely won’t play during the preseason. Rapoport estimates that the QB could return two to four weeks after his initially surgery, and he’ll likely participate in throwing sessions while limiting his hits during practice.
- Bills All-Pro safety Jordan Poyer hyperextended his elbow yesterday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). While the injury will keep Poyer off the field for a few weeks, he’s expected to be ready for the start of the regular season. The veteran defensive back has only missed a pair of regular season games since joining the Bills in 2017.
- Giants fourth-round safety Dane Belton suffered a broken collarbone, reports ESPN’s Jordan Raanan (via Twitter). While the rookie will be sidelined for the foreseeable future, the organization is holding out hope that he’ll be good to go for the start of the season. There’s a better chance he lands on IR following final cuts and will then be activated at some point in October. The Iowa product had already made a strong impression at training camp, according to Raanan.
- Falcons defensive tackle Vincent Taylor ruptured his Achilles, according to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein (on Twitter). The injury will force Taylor to miss the 2022 season. The 28-year-old joined the Falcons back in April. The journeyman has appeared in 40 career games, including a single start with the Texans in 2021.
Latest On Jessie Bates, Bengals Extensions
The Bengals didn’t sign Jessie Bates prior to the extension deadline, and despite having little leverage to avoid playing on the franchise tag in 2022, the safety is still away from the team as training camp starts. Speaking to reporters, Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin acknowledged that the two sides “just didn’t come together” on a new deal and there are “no hard feelings” (via ESPN’s Ben Baby on Twitter).
[RELATED: Jessie Bates Absent From Training Camps]
Predictably, Tobin revealed that the front office would be willing to resume negotiations with Bates following the upcoming season. Bates has not yet signed his tender — which means that he cannot be fined for skipping training camp — but he will either need to sign it at some point or sit out the entire 2022 campaign, which seems highly unlikely. The most likely route sees Bates return to the field for the 2022 season and then hit unrestricted free agent next offseason. For what it’s worth, a trade isn’t expected.
Meanwhile, the Bengals front office will soon have to shift focus to extending their franchise quarterback. Speaking to reporters, team president Mike Brown made it clear that the Bengals want to keep Joe Burrow long-term.
“I can tell you that we couldn’t be happier with Joe Burrow,” Brown said (via Baby). “He’s everything you would wish for, especially for a quarterback in Cincinnati. Our whole focus is going to be on keeping him here.”
Burrow is entering the third year of his rookie contract, meaning there’s still plenty of time to negotiate a new pact. As Baby notes, the Bengals will also have to figure out how to proceed with an extension for wide receiver Tee Higgins, although Brown was clear that QB is the team’s priority.
“Right now, our obvious, most important issue will be with our quarterback,” Brown said. “It’s not quite ready or ripe yet, but it’s right down the track. We see the train coming.”
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/29/22
Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB Duke Dawson
Chicago Bears
- Activated from active/PUP list: DL Sam Kamara
Cleveland Browns
- Claimed (from Jets): S Jovante Moffatt
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from active/PUP list: CB Quandre Mosely
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from active/NFI list: WR Sammy Watkins
- Activated from active/PUP list: LB Randy Ramsey, OL Rasheed Walker
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DT Caeveon Patton
- Released: DE Bryan Cox Jr.
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: K Elliott Fry
- Waived: K Andrew Mevis
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: RB Trey Ragas
- Waived/injured: RB Xavier Jones
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Josh Hammond
- Activated from active/PUP list: C David Andrews, P Jake Bailey
New York Jets
- Waived: LB Javin White
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DL Tomasi Laulile
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: TE Bug Howard
- Waived: P Sterling Hofrichter
- Activated from active/PUP list: G Sadarius Hutcherson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: CB Shakur Brown
Signed as a UDFA shortly after the draft, Mevis fared rather poorly in a Thursday workout. The rookie kicker missed badly on three warmup kicks, one of which drilling ex-Cowboys HC Dave Campo (of Hard Knocks 2002 fame), per ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco. Mevis had struggled during the start of Jaguars camp. This is Fry’s seventh NFL team since he entered the league in 2019. The workout-circuit regular has played in three regular-season games — one-offs with the Falcons, Bengals and Chiefs. The Jags also have kicker Ryan Santoso on their roster.
A hamstring injury, sustained during a workout shortly after a flight to Green Bay, sidelined Watkins for the start of Packers camp. The veteran will try to shake a well-earned injury-prone label in Green Bay, though the former top-five pick’s roster spot may not be 100% secure. Andrews, who returned in 2020 after missing all of the 2019 season due to blood clots, underwent offseason shoulder surgery. He is back for a seventh season as the Patriots’ starting center.
Bengals Hire Adam Zimmer As Offensive Assistant
Adam Zimmer has worked on the defensive side of the ball throughout his career, but the Bengals are bringing back their former assistant in a different capacity.
The recent Vikings defensive coordinator will work for the defending AFC champions as a senior offensive analyst, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). This will mark a return for the second-generation NFL coach. Zimmer, 38, spent the 2013 season as the Bengals’ assistant defensive backs coach, working in Cincinnati during the final year of Mike Zimmer‘s DC stay.
One of a few sons of former head coaches still active in the game, Adam Zimmer has been an NFL staffer above the quality-control level since he was 22. The Saints used him as their assistant linebackers coach to start Sean Payton‘s tenure in 2006, and he held that role through New Orleans’ Super Bowl-winning 2009 slate. The younger Zimmer has since worked for the Chiefs, Bengals and Vikings.
Mike Zimmer’s Minnesota hire naturally meant his son followed, and the longtime Vikings HC promoted his son from linebackers coach to DC in 2020. Adam Zimmer, however, shared that role with Andre Patterson. Although Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks developed into Pro Bowlers on Zimmer’s watch, his shot at the DC job did not go especially well. Injuries plagued the 2020 Vikings defense, which ended a run of quality defensive units in Minnesota, but the team also ranked 30th in total defense last season.
The Bengals also added Fredi Knighten to their offensive staff. Knighten, 28, will work as an offensive assistant. He has spent his career in the college ranks to this point and will come to Cincinnati after a year at Utah State.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/28/22
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: Antwaun Woods
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DB Henry Black
- Waived: TE Brayden Lenius
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: RB Jacques Patrick
- Placed on IR: RB Elijah Holyfield
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: WR KaVontae Turpin
- Released: FB Nick Ralston
Detroit Lions
- Signed: OT Darrin Paulo
- Waived/injured: LB Natrez Patrick
Indianapolis Colts
- Activated from NFI: DT Eric Johnson II
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DE Azur Kamara
- Waived: DT Cortez Broughton, TE Mark Vital
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Josh Hammond
New York Giants
- Signed: LB Austin Calitro
- Waived: LB Justin Hilliard
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: TE Johnathan Howard
- Waived: P Sterling Hofrichter
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Terry Godwin
- Waived: WR Juwan Green
Washington Commanders
- Activated from PUP: C Chase Roullier
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/27/22
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released from reserve/NFI: TE Alex Ellis
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DT Darrion Daniels
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: WR Bailey Gaither
- Placed on NFI: G Ben Cleveland
Chicago Bears
- Placed on PUP: DL Sam Kamara, LB Roquan Smith
- Placed on NFI: S Dane Cruikshank, CB Michael Joseph, WR Tajae Sharpe
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: QB Drew Plitt
- Waived: CB John Brannon
- Activated from PUP: G Alex Cappa, RB Samaje Perine
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on PUP: WR Dontario Drummond, WR Michael Gallup, LB Aaron Hansford, CB Quandre Mosely
- Placed on NFI: LB Damone Clark
Detroit Lions
- Placed on PUP: FB Jason Cabinda
- Placed on NFI: S C.J. Moore
- Placed on non-football illness: T Dan Skipper
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: Ishmael Hyman
- Released: LB Caliph Brice
- Activated from PUP: OT Caleb Jones, DE Dean Lowry, RB Patrick Taylor
Houston Texans
- Placed on PUP: DE Jordan Jenkins, DB Tristin McCollum, TE Teagan Quitoriano
Indianapolis Colts
- Activated from PUP: DL Tyquan Lewis, S Rodney McLeod
Kansas City Chiefs
- Released (failed physical designation): DT Cortez Broughton
- Activated from PUP: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: CB Tino Ellis
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from PUP: Nick Vannett
- Placed on NFI: LB Pete Werner
New York Giants
- Signed: OT Garrett McGhin
- Waived (failure to disclose physical condition designation): OT Kamaal Seymour
- Activated from PUP: TE Daniel Bellinger
New York Jets
- Signed: DB Luq Barcoo
- Waived: DB Jovante Moffat
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on PUP: DE Tyson Alualu
- Placed on NFI: S Minkah Fitzpatrick
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: OL Keenan Forbes, G Eric Wilson