The Cincinnati Bengals got some bad news today.
“Bengals OL Cordell Volson suffered a right shoulder injury at practice yesterday. Zac Taylor said he won’t play on Monday against WAS and his injury timeline is unknown,” ESPN Bengals reporter Ben Baby posted on X, formerly Twitter.
At 6-foot-6, Volson showed the ability to play almost anywhere on the offensive line while in college at North Dakota State, where he was a three-time All-American and won four national championships. Since being drafted in 2022, Volson has been a consistent force on the interior of the Cincinnati line. As a rookie, he started all 16 games at left guard before starting all 17 games in 2023. Last season, he started all but two games.
If Volson does, indeed, miss extended time, Cody Ford may be relied upon to step up, although Ford was on the rehab field today and had been practicing earlier this week at both tackle positions. Ford, a 2019 second-round draft pick, has been with the Bengals since 2023 and has served mostly as a backup for Volson and other starters at guard and tackle.
Either way, Cincinnati will need a steady O-line to protect Joe Burrow, who has dealt with a few major injuries during his career. Last season, the Bengals, who threw more than all but one team, ranked among the worst in average time in the pocket and QB hits, although they were average or above average in terms of pressure rate and hurries.
Cincinnati’s offense wasn’t really the issue, though. Last year, the Bengals’ defense, particularly early in the season, had tremendous trouble slowing down opposing offenses, which led to a 1-4 record out of the gate. In six of the Bengals’ eight losses, they allowed 34 or more points, while averaging nearly 32 points scored.
After losing to the Philadelphia Eagles last week, the Bengals play their second game of the preseason on Monday at the Washington Commanders. They then finish up the preseason by hosting the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday, Aug. 23.
The Bengals open the regular season on the road against in-state and AFC North rival, the Cleveland Browns, before playing their first home game the following week vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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