The Cincinnati Bengals somehow stole a win away from the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday. However, the team lost one of its stars in DJ Reader to injury. Usually, teams will evaluate a player before knowing how serious it is. However, the coaching staff was quick to rule him out for the remainder of the season.

Reader fell to a torn quad tendon on Saturday. The Bengals defensive tackle may not be fully ready to go by the start of next season.

“Bengals DT DJ Reader, one of the key members of their D, suffered a torn quad tendon. He is out for the season and faces a long road to recovery,” Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported.

DJ Reader suffered a similar injury on his other leg a couple of years ago. He was able to make a full recovery and eventually get back on the field. However, the healing process can take up to a year. So, depending on how the offseason process plays out, the Bengals could be without Reader for part of next season.

But we won't know for sure until we get there. Of course, there's a chance Reader can bounce back sooner than that. It really just depends how his body heals from the injury. Either way, it'll be a long process for the Bengals defensive tackle.

It's a shame DJ Reader fell to such a serious injury. He's one of the better defensive tackles in the league. This season alone he's totaled 34 tackles (two for a loss), one sack, and one fumble recovery. He is an absolute force when it comes to stopping the run. So, the Bengals will need to find a way to fill the gap without their star defensive tackle.