Bengals’ DE Sam Hubbard expected to miss up to four weeks with calf injury
The Cincinnati Bengals will be without defensive end Sam Hubbard for a few weeks due to a calf injury he suffered against the Buccaneers on Sunday, a source tells the Enquirer.
Hubbard, 27, is expected to miss anywhere between two to four weeks. The Bengals have three games left in the regular season, including two home games against the Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Ravens.
Cincinnati is fortunate Hubbard’s injury is not season-ending. Hubbard is a captain on the team and is one of the best defensive players. Before the injury, Hubbard was having his best season as a Bengal.
Hubbard has 6.5 sacks on the year and his loss will be significant for the Bengals because of his ability to both stop the run and pressure opposing quarterbacks. In five seasons with the Bengals, Hubbard has logged 30.5 sacks.
The Bengals are incredibly thin at edge rusher right now. Trey Hendrickson is dealing with a broken wrist and did not play against the Buccaneers. Joseph Ossai started in place of Hendrickson and played well. Now, it will be up to Cam Sample, rookie Jeff Gunter and Ossai to step up with Hendrickson and Hubbard out.
The Bengals are in the hunt for the AFC’s No. 1 overall seed. Right now, the Bills and Chiefs are in front of them in the standings but if Kansas City and Buffalo both lose a game and Cincinnati wins out, the Bengals would secure the top seed. Cincinnati already beat Kansas City and will take on Buffalo on Jan. 2, 2023 before closing the season out against the Ravens.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Bengals' DE Sam Hubbard calf injury update
