Cincinnati Bengals
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On Sunday, the Cincinnati Bengals got back in the win column with a 31-24 road victory over the winless Miami Dolphins.
While it may have appeared that Cincinnati would be shorthanded for the Week 5 game, both of Cincinnati’s star receivers were able to participate and contribute during the win in Miami. Unfortunately, while neither of the pair suffered an aggravation of their respective injury, the Bengals did lose a defender to a serious injury.
Cincinnati Bengals Announce Linebacker Will Go on Injured Reserve
After Sunday’s win over Miami, the Cincinnati Bengals announced they had “Placed LB Swayze Bozeman on the Reserve/Injured list. Bozeman, a second-year player, suffered a forearm injury in yesterday’s game at Miami.”
Regarding Bozeman’s injury, Bengals on SI’s Russell Heltman wrote: “The Bozeman blow stings, he has played 63 snaps for the Bengals on special teams this season.”
Bozeman earned a spot on the Bengals’ 53-man roster with his strong special teams play in the preseason and training camp. Fortunately, head coach Zac Taylor did say he did not expect the injury to be season-ending.
Prior to the season, A to Z Sports’ John Sheeran wrote of Bozeman’s trajectory prior to signing with the Bengals: “Kansas City kept Bozeman on its practice squad for all of 2024, and elevated him to the active roster for three games. He was elevated for all three of the Chiefs’ postseason games as well, including their Super Bowl LIX loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. In total, he played 117 snaps for K.C. as a rookie, with most coming on special teams.
The Chicago Bears signed Bozeman to a futures contract days after the Super Bowl. Chicago kept him on its offseason roster up until final cuts. The New York Giants signed him to their practice squad and played him in six games. He was waived in the middle of the season, but brought back after a few days. He played 139 snaps for the Giants, again, mostly on special teams.”
Corresponding Addition
After losing Bozeman for at least four games, Cincinnati quickly replaced the linebacker. They announced they signed former Jaguars fourth-round pick Jack Kiser.
The Bengals wrote on their website: “Acquired LB Jack Kiser on waivers from Jacksonville. Kiser (6-2, 231), a second-year player out of the University of Notre Dame, originally was a fourth-round draft pick of the Jaguars in 2025. He played in 14 regular-season games as a rookie for Jacksonville last season, totaling 10 defensive tackles and four special teams tackles. He spent one game on the Jaguars’ practice squad and was inactive for three games earlier this season, before being waived on Saturday.”
Regarding how Kiser fits into the 2026 Bengals, Bengals on SI’s Russell Heltman wrote: “Kiser figures to work into the special teams unit soon after Bozeman played 64 snaps on the kicking units this season. The new Bengals LB played 193 played snaps last season on ST and none this campaign in Jacksonville.”
The Cincinnati Bengals will now head into their bye week with a 3-2 record.
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