Sample tied a season-high with four catches in Saturday's Week 18 win over the Steelers, netting just 14 yards. For the season Sample caught 20 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown. Sample has been a blocking-first tight end for most of his career, dating back to his college days at the University of Washington. This season falls sharply in line with his career production.
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Status
ACTIVELatest Drew Sample news
Other Bengals Players
Team
Cincinnati Bengals
Birthdate
4/16/1996 (28)
Status
Active
HT/WT
6'5", 260 lbs
Draft Info
2019: Rd 2; Pk (CIN)
Birthplace
Bellevue, WA, USA
Position
TE
College
Washington
Experience
6 seasons
Career History
Cincinnati Bengals
2019-Present
(6 seasons)
Sample tied a season-high with four catches in Saturday's Week 18 win over the Steelers, netting just 14 yards. For the season Sample caught 20 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown. Sample has been a blocking-first tight end for most of his career, dating back to his college days at the University of Washington. This season falls sharply in line with his career production.
Sample (groin) is active for Saturday's game against the Steelers. Sample was expected to play in Saturday's regular-season finale despite missing practice all week due to a groin injury. Sample will serve as the Bengals' No. 2 tight end behind Mike Gesicki.
Sample (groin) is listed as questionable for Saturday night's game against Pittsburgh. Head coach Zac Taylor relayed Thursday that Sample is expected to play despite missing practice all week due to a groin injury, per Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. In the five games since the Bengals' Week 12 bye, Sample has caught seven passes on as many targets for 44 yards while serving as the No. 2 tight end behind Mike Gesicki. Tanner Hudson would see an increased snap count on offense if Sample was limited in his playing time or ruled out entirely.
Sample was deemed a non-participant in Tuesday's practice walkthrough due to a groin issue, Jay Morrison of SI.com reports. This is the first word of the tight end dealing with a groin issue, and it's currently unclear how severe the injury is. Sample handled about his usual workload this past Saturday against Denver, logging 51 offensive snaps and recording one catch on one target for three yards. Sample isn't typically a big part of the Bengals' air attack, but his effective blocking would be missed if he can't suit up Saturday versus Pittsburgh.
Sample was on the field for 49 of the Bengals' 71 snaps on offense and recorded two receptions for 13 yards on two targets in Monday's 27-20 win over the Cowboys. Sample comfortably paced Bengals tight ends in playing time, logging more snaps than Mike Gesicki (20), Cam Grandy (17) and Tanner Hudson (14). While it's not out of the ordinary for Sample to lead the group in snaps, he functions primarily as a blocker when he's on the field and typically isn't as involved in the passing game compared to Gesicki and Hudson, both of whom have logged more targets, receptions and receiving yards on the season.
Sample recorded two receptions for eight yards on two targets in Sunday's 44-38 loss to the Steelers. Sample's 39 snaps paced all Cincinnati tight ends, ranking ahead of Mike Gesicki (27), Tanner Hudson (12) and Cam Grandy (nine). Though he's now played more than half of Cincinnati's offensive snaps in each of the last four games, Sample brings most of his value as a blocker and isn't as involved in the passing game as Gesicki and Hudson. Sample has still managed to produce a 7-31-1 receiving line on eight targets over that four-game stretch, exceeding his combined output from the first eight weeks of the season (four catches for 28 yards and no touchdowns on five targets).
Sample did not see any targets in Thursday's loss to the Ravens. Sample had his best game of the season with four catches and a touchdown in Week 9 against Las Vegas, but he was back to being a non-factor Thursday. Meanwhile, Bengals No. 1 tight end Mike Gesicki caught four passes on nine targets for 30 yards against Baltimore and Tanner Hudson notched six catches on seven targets for 42 yards and a touchdown. Sample did finish second among the team's tight ends with 46 offensive snaps, but with zero receptions in seven of his 10 contests this season, he can't be counted on for offensive production on a weekly basis.
Sample hauled in all four of his targets for 14 yards and a touchdown during the Bengals' win over the Raiders on win. Sample was one of four different Cincinnati receivers to haul in a touchdown pass from Joe Burrow during Sunday's blowout win. Sample has now caught eight of his nine targets for 42 yards and a touchdown across nine games this season.
Sample didn't draw a target while playing 26 of the Bengals' 53 snaps on offense in Sunday's 17-7 win over the Giants. Though Sample paced the Bengals four active tight ends in snaps, the rookie Erick All was the only member of the quartet that drew a target on the evening. Sample has handled snap shares north of 40 percent in each of Cincinnati's first four contest, but he's on the field primarily for his prowess as a blocker. He's been targeted just four times across his 169 offensive snaps on the season.