Ex Texas A&M Star Cashius Howell Lands On IR After Wrist Surgery

Former Texas A&M defensive end Cashius Howell was beginning to make his presence felt in the NFL. Now, the Cincinnati Bengals will have to continue their playoff push without one of their most promising young pass rushers.

The Bengals placed Howell on injured reserve Tuesday, November 3, following surgery to repair a wrist injury suffered during Sunday's 43-36 overtime victory over the Tennessee Titans.

MORE: Texas A&M Five-Star LB Kaden Henderson Plans Notre Dame Visit

The designation guarantees the rookie will miss at least four games, turning what initially appeared to be a short-term setback into a significant interruption to his first professional season.

Howell, Cincinnati's second-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, has appeared in all seven Bengals games this season.

The former Aggie has produced six tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and five quarterback hits while playing approximately 39 percent of the team's defensive snaps.

Those numbers don't tell the entire story.

Despite working primarily as a rotational defender, Howell has generated nine quarterback pressures, the fourth-highest total on Cincinnati's defense.

He recorded his first NFL sack against the Baltimore Ravens on October 25, providing another glimpse of the explosiveness that made him one of the SEC's most disruptive defensive players during his two seasons at Texas A&M.

Unfortunately, his momentum came to an abrupt stop against Tennessee.

Howell suffered the injury during the second half and underwent surgery Sunday night. Bengals coach Zac Taylor subsequently confirmed the procedure but didn't announce a specific return date.

His absence creates an immediate opportunity for another familiar name in College Station.

Shemar Stewart, Cincinnati's first-round selection in 2025 and another former Texas A&M defensive standout, could see a considerably larger role.

Stewart played just six defensive snaps against Tennessee, but that workload figures to increase with Howell sidelined and fellow defensive end Cedric Johnson dealing with an ankle injury.

"We're fortunate that we have a lot of depth in the D-line room," Taylor said while discussing the team's options.

The coach specifically identified Stewart as someone who could benefit from the additional opportunities.

"We trust him to go in there and make some plays for us," Taylor said.

For the 5-2 Bengals, maintaining defensive pressure will be especially important as they prepare to face the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid, Spain, on Sunday.

For Howell, the immediate priority is recovery.

Injured reserve doesn't necessarily mean his rookie season is over. He'll become eligible to return after missing four games, provided his recovery progresses sufficiently.

MORE: KC Concepcion Proves Browns Made the Right Call With First-Round Selection

That's encouraging news for a young defender who has already demonstrated he belongs at the NFL level.

And for Texas A&M fans following their former stars, the next several weeks could provide an extended look at Stewart while Howell works toward getting back on the field.