Injury Report:  Cincinnati Bengals’ Star That Suffer Knee surgery” Sends Messages To Fans, That Is Not Going To Return This Season….

With the recent wave of free agency, Sam Hubbard is now the Cincinnati Bengals’ longest-tenured player. He’s also 11th on the franchise’s list of all-time sack leaders with 36.5.

So it’s good news that he feels like himself again.

After last season, Hubbard underwent ankle surgery to alleviate a lingering issue. And it turns out, that was the right decision.

“I’m feeling really good. Really glad I got it fixed. Been bugging me for a long time,” Hubbard told Bengals.com’s Geoff Hobson. He added that the treatment is allowing him to move and play like he wants to.

Hubbard, who was drafted in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft, is a local kid, having been born in Cincinnati and attending Moeller High School before going to Ohio State.

So it was fitting that, in that legendary fumble return for a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens in the 2023 Wild Card round, Mike Tirico called Hubbard “the Cincinnati kid”. But Hubbard won’t be a kid for much longer, as he turns 29 in June.

The Cincinnati Bengals filled a hole in their offense with the signing of Trent Brown. And while it was no surprise to see Brown leave the New England Patriots, it still created a 370-pound void on New England’s left edge.

Brown’s departure has an obvious impact on the Patriots.

But might Brown signing in Cincinnati also help New England in a different way?

Before signing Brown, the Bengals were viewed as a team who could use its first-round pick on an offensive tackle. Cincinnati watched starting tackle Jonah Williams walk out the door in free agency, and have made it a priority to protect quarterback Joe Burrow. So while the Bengals could still target a tackle at No. 18 overall, especially since Brown, who is entering his age-31 season, signed a mere one-year deal, Cincinnati has given itself options.

Instead, perhaps the Bengals target a wide receiver in the first round? Tee Higgins reportedly has requested a trade after the organization used its franchise tag on him this offseason. And Tyler Boyd, the No. 3 wideout behind Ja’Marr Chase and Higgins, remains available on the open market.

During his mock draft published Tuesday morning, before the signing of Brown, ESPN’s Mel Kiper called LSU wideout Brian Thomas a “potential fit” for the Bengals. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein linked Thomas to the Bengals in his mock draft earlier this month. The 6-foot-3, 209-pound Thomas referred to himself as a similar player to 6-foot-4, 219-pound Higgins.