The Cincinnati Bengals are now keeping a close watch on the status of Hayden Hurst ahead of their 2023 AFC Championship Game clash against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Bengals released their penultimate injury report of the week on Thursday, and Hurst was listed as a limited participant in practice on the day due to a calf injury. This came after he ended up being a full participant in practice on Wednesday.

Hurst dealt with a calf injury late in the regular season. He suffered a notable calf ailment during the first half of Cincinnati’s home win over the Chiefs in December. The veteran tight end went on to miss the team’s next three contests due to his nagging injury, although he did make his return to action in the regular season finale against the Baltimore Ravens.

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Hurst’s late-season calf ailment did not reemerge as an issue for him in the Bengals’ last three games. For one, he featured in 78 percent of snaps on offense in Cincinnati’s AFC wild-card round victory against the Ravens, where he hauled in four receptions for 45 receiving yards.

Overall, Hurst has blossomed as a keen contributor in his first year donning a Bengals jersey. He capped off regular season play with 52 receptions for 414 receiving yards and two touchdown catches over 13 such games played.