The Cincinnati Bengals are putting the finishing touches on their preparations for their Week 3 divisional showdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and there’s reason to believe they will be able to pick up their third straight win of the year. Nothing can be taken for granted in the NFL, though, which is why the Bengals are still fine-tuning their roster ahead of this game.
Earlier this week, it was revealed that wide receiver Andrei Iosivas would be landing on injured reserve, meaning that Cincinnati would have an open roster spot that it could use ahead of this game. On Saturday afternoon, after officially placing Iosivas on injured reserve, the Bengals made a pair of roster moves involving linebacker Joe Giles-Harris and tight end Tanner Hudson.
Bengals Sign Joe Giles-Harris, Elevate Tanner Hudson From Practice Squad
While the Bengals are thrilled to have won their first two games of the season, they knew they had some work to do to their roster this week. Losing Iosivas, who suffered a torn ligament in his thumb that required surgery, certainly hurts, but the good news is that Cincy still has one of the top wide receiver duos, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, at its disposal.
Finding the best way to fill Iosivas’ roster spot was a big topic of discussion, though. Rather than adding another wide receiver, the Bengals decided to sign Giles-Harris, who was previously on their practice squad, to the active roster. Giles-Harris has played in each of the Bengals’ first two games of the season, so had he been elevated from the practice squad again this week, the front office would have had to sign him to the active roster if they wanted to elevate him again down the line.
Instead of waiting a week, they decided to take care of that key piece of business on Saturday afternoon. In addition to Giles-Harris, the Bengals are also adding Hudson to the active roster, although he is simply being elevated from the practice squad for this game, rather than being signed to the roster.
We have placed WR Andrei Iosivas on the Reserve/Injured list, signed LB Joe Giles-Harris off the practice squad to the active roster, and elevated TE Tanner Hudson from the practice squad to the active roster for CIN @ PIT,” the team announced in a post on X.
Bengals Looking to Pick Up Important Divisional Win vs. Steelers
Neither of these roster moves is going to move the needle for the Bengals, but having depth is important, especially as injuries begin to mount. Giles-Harris has quickly carved out a role for himself on this team, so signing him to the active roster makes sense. Hudson, meanwhile, is in his fourth year with Cincy, so adding a guy who has familiarity with the offense in the wake of Iosivas’ absence is a shrewd move.
At some point, the Bengals will likely have to make a decision on Hudson’s future, but that’s something that can be crossed down the line. Right now, Cincinnati’s primary goal involves finding a way to take down Pittsburgh on Sunday, with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
Bengals Announce Pair of Roster Moves Before Week 3 Clash vs. Steelers