Cincinnati Bengals superstar expected to miss several months of 2024 preseason after tragic injury

Unfortunately, the injury list continued to grow when expected standout defensive end Myles Murphy suffered a non-contact knee injury during a joint practice with the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday afternoon. As he attempted to make a cut after breaking away from the line of scrimmage, Murphy felt a twinge in his knee and was immediately carried off the field.

The original projection was that Murphy had sprained his knee and would likely be available for the regular season kickoff, but that timetable was significantly extended later in the week. Murphy is now expected to miss the next four to six weeks with the knee sprain, and the team will reportedly be cautious with him to ensure he returns to the team at 100% later in the season.

Although Murphy is technically still listed as a backup behind defensive ends Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard, his injury has dramatically changed how head coach Zac Taylor will run his team for the remainder of the preseason. Taylor was expected to use Thursday night's final preseason game against the Colts as an opportunity to lock down the starting spots, but after Murphy's injury, all of the regulars were listed as inactive during the game.

After Murphy was selected 28th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, there was an expectation that he would make the leap to elite pass rusher this season. According to Cincinnati news outlets, Murphy has looked exceptionally good during training camp. Murphy is now expected to step in and play an active role no earlier than the third week of the season.

Aside from Murphy, this organization absolutely needs to stay healthy if it wants to have a realistic chance of achieving its goals this season. If another player suffers a serious injury in the next few weeks, this team could likely be eliminated from the playoffs for the second year in a row.