Injury Roundup — The latest on Geno Atkins, Mackensie Alexander and Logan Wilson
CINCINNATI — Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice. It was the first time he was able to practice since injuring his shoulder in the final scrimmage of training camp.
The 32-year-old participated in individual drills, which included stretching and doing field work with the team prior to the start of practice.
"Hopeful, as always," Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said when asked about Atkins' status. "We’ll take it day-to-day and know more by the end of the week... He’ll start to work through some individual stuff over the course of this week."
Atkins' return would be huge for a defense that was hoping to be dominant in the trenches. They've struggled in his absence, allowing 181.7 rushing yards per game, which is 31st in the NFL.
They could use him this week against rookie running back James Robinson, who has quickly made Jaguars fans forget about Leonard Fournette. Robinson has 210 yards and three rushing touchdowns in three games. He's averaging 4.9 yards-per-carry in three games this season.
There were a couple of surprises on Wednesday's injury report. Starting nickel corner Mackensie Alexander didn't participate due to rib and hamstring injuries. Rookie linebacker Logan Wilson is in concussion protocol.
Second-year guard Michael Jordan was a limited participant (knee), as was cornerback Darius Phillips (knee).
Veteran defensive linemen Mike Daniels and Carlos Dunlap were both given rest days. Fred Johnson was a full participant in practice, despite dealing with a wrist issue.
The Bengals would like nothing more than to have Atkins, Alexander and the rest of their starting defense out there on Sunday. Only time will tell if that will be the case.
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