The Bengals will be the first team this season to activate a player from injured reserve, with punter Brad Robbins making the move back to Cincinnati’s active roster.
Robbins, who served as the Bengals’ primary punter last season, had been sidelined by a quad injury this summer but has now received a return designation. His activation adds him back to the 53-man roster, which currently includes two punters. Since Robbins was designated for return before the initial 53-man roster was finalized, this transaction does not affect the Bengals’ activation limit.
Joining Robbins on the active roster is Ryan Rehkow. Typically, teams don’t keep two punters, and veteran Bengals reporter Jay Morrison notes that Rehkow is likely in the lead for the position. The Bengals had considered continuing the punter competition once Robbins was healthy, but it’s unlikely this will remain an ongoing battle. One of the punters is expected to be moved to the practice squad, assuming they clear waivers.
As a rookie, Robbins averaged 44.3 yards per punt and ranked among the bottom three punters in the league for gross average in 2023, placing just 26.3% of his punts inside the 20-yard line.
Drafted in the sixth round last year from Michigan, where he served as the main punter for four of his six seasons, Robbins will compete with Rehkow, a rookie undrafted free agent from BYU. Rehkow is proving hard to beat, currently leading the NFL with an impressive 58.4 yards per punt. If he maintains this average, he could break Ryan Stonehouse’s single-season record, presenting a significant challenge for Robbins.
Be the first to comment