The injury bug has struck a bit of the blow to the Bengals, as the team has placed two players on injured reserve.
Safety and kick returner Branson Wilson is headed to IR after tearing his ACL on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. Wilson was returning a kickoff when he was brought down awkwardly near the sideline. He will miss the remainder of 2021 and will hope to be ready to go at the beginning of the 2022 season.
Akeem Davis-Gaither, meanwhile, picked up a foot injury against the Browns. No comment has been made at this point as to how long he’ll be out, but since he is being placed on IR, he will miss a minimum of three games.
When Jordan Evans tore his ACL, the Bengals replaced him by bringing up Joe Bachie from the practice squad. After placing Davis-Gaither on IR, the Bengals have already replaced his spot on the roster.
The team has claimed LB Clay Johnston off waivers from the Carolina Panthers. Johnston was originally a 7th round pick of the Los Angeles Rams, but was waived before the start of that season. He has spent his time afterwards with the Carolina Panthers bouncing between the practice squad and roster. To date, he has played in eight games, racking up 10 tackles in the process.