The Cincinnati Bengals will be without two more key players when they take on the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football.
Cincinnati will be without starting tight end Noah Fant and defensive end Shemar Stewart, per Adam Schefter, while looking to bounce back from a blowout loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Fant, who has 12 receptions, 80 receiving yards, and a touchdown, will miss Monday's game with a concussion. Stewart, the Bengals' first-round pick in 2025, will miss his second consecutive game with an ankle injury.
The injury report has already been stacking up pretty high for them. The Bengals were without star quarterback Joe Burrow last week and will continue to be for the next three months after he suffered a turf toe injury in Week 2.
Cincinnati will look to improve to 3-1 on the season despite missing Burrow for most of the year.
The Bengals can expect Mike Gesicki and Drew Sample to receive more reps at tight end with the loss of Fant for Monday night's clash against his former Broncos.
Sample received more looks in Week 3 against the Vikings, catching two passes for 20 yards in the loss. Gesicki had just one catch for three yards on three total targets. He has just 757 career receiving yards on 103 receptions over the course of his seven-year NFL career. He spent all seven years of his career with Cincinnati and peaked in 2020 when he had 349 receiving yards on 40 receptions.
Gesicki previously had two 700-plus yard seasons with the Miami Dolphins, but has just 38 yards on five catches to start his second year with the Bengals. He has not had more than 250 yards since his final season in Miami in 2022.
Cincinnati's tight ends will look to make a connection with now-starter Jake Browning as he makes his second start and third appearance for the Bengals this season.
