Bengals Get Key Injury Updates Ahead of Ravens Matchup in Week 7

Week seven is here, and the Cincinnati Bengals will play their second AFC North game of the season with a chance to establish themselves atop the division. Cincinnati is 3-2 and last in the division, while the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Ravens are all 4-2. 

Cincinnati is getting in much better shape injury-wise. The week before the Miami Dolphins game, the Bengals were unsure whether Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, or Bryan Cook could play after earlier injuries. 

This week, they won’t have to worry about which starters will play, barring any practice setbacks. 

Safety Kyle Dugger returned to practice after missing the last two games against the Jaguars and Dolphins. Dugger is a depth option at safety behind Bryan Cook and Jordan Battle. He has five solo tackles for the season and provides a veteran presence on the back end of the Bengals' defense. 

Defensive end Cashius Howell missed practice due to illness, and his status will be worth monitoring this week. If he misses one or two more days, the question will be whether he’s physically ready to play against the Ravens. He’s been a big contributor on the defensive line, racking up 12 pressures in his rookie year, second among all NFL rookies. 

Howell was one of five defensive line additions this offseason, the only one from the top three rounds of the NFL Draft. The other three, Dexter Lawrence, Boye Mafe, and Jonathan Allen, were either traded for or signed as free agents. 

Wide receiver Colbie Young, a fourth-round pick out of Georgia, suffered a knee injury in week three and missed the Bengals’ games against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins. Andrei Iosivias’s injury forced Dohnte Meyers into the wide receiver three role just a couple of months after receiving a training camp invite after playing in the CFL last season. Cincinnati also signed Mitchell Tinsley off the Houston Texans' practice squad. 

Cincinnati is very high on Young after a great training camp, and his frame projects as a possible replacement for Tee Higgins. With injuries around Cincinnati’s receivers, Young will get a good number of snaps if he returns in week seven. 

The Ravens face a significant injury report this week, as quarterback Lamar Jackson has missed the last two games, in which Baltimore went 1-1, beating the Atlanta Falcons and losing to the Cleveland Browns. Jackson has been labeled day-to-day and could return for a big divisional rivalry game.