Just when it seemed like things were beginning to go the Cincinnati Bengals‘ way, they suffered a crushing Week 8 loss to the New York Jets, dropping their record to 3-5 on the season. Considering how the Bengals led for the majority of this game, and the fact that the Jets were 0-7 entering this one, that makes the loss about as crushing as it possibly could be.
As if that wasn’t enough of a gut punch, things became even worse for Cincinnati when special teams ace Shaka Heyward was forced out of the game early. Unsurprisingly, Heyward is going to miss some time for the Bengals, but it sounds like the team managed to avoid the worst-case scenario when it comes to his injury status.
Shaka Heyward Set to Miss Four Weeks for Bengals
One major injury has largely defined the Bengals’ season to this point, and that came back in Week 2 when star quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a turf toe injury that required surgery, forcing him to miss three months of action. Without Burrow, Cincinnati’s coaching staff has struggled to piece things together on the offensive side of the ball.
With Jake Browning struggling mightily after filling in for Burrow initially, the team went out and traded for Joe Flacco, from their division rival, the Cleveland Browns. After leading the team to a surprise upset defeat of the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 7, it finally seemed like there was some hope for the Bengals this season. Instead, they threw away a winnable game against the lowly Jets that could prove to be quite costly.
Furthermore, the team lost one of its best special teams players in Heyward when he was forced out of the game with a fibula injury. Usually, fibula injuries mean long-term absences, but with Heyward only suffering a hairline fracture, he’s expected to only have to miss four weeks of action, meaning he should be able to return to the field at some point later this season.
“Bengals LB Shaka Heyward suffered a hairline fracture to his fibula and is out about 4 weeks, source said. That likely lands the cousin of Steelers Cam and Connor Heyward on Injured Reserve,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network shared in a post on X.
Bengals Could Place Shaka Heyward on Injured Reserve
GettyShaka Heyward is set to miss time for the Bengals with a hairline fracture in his fibula
Heyward went undrafted in 2023, but he found his way to the Bengals, and he’s gradually carved out a role for himself as a special teams ace. After suiting up in six games last season, Heyward has played in all eight so far this year, racking up 10 tackles during his time on the field. Without him, though, the coaching staff will have to piece things together when it comes to their various special teams units.
Considering how it seems like Heyward will miss at least the next four weeks, Cincy could place him on injured reserve in order to open up a roster spot, which could be used to help the team replace him. While the front office figures out its next move with Heyward, the team will begin its preparations for its upcoming Week 9 contest against the Chicago Bears.
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