CINCINNATI — The season for one of Bengals’ promising rookies is likely over.
Team officials believe running back Rodney Anderson tore his ACL again in Thursday’s preseason finale, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. It would be the second time in an as many years that Anderson suffered the exact same injury.
The sixth-round pick left Saturday’s game with a right knee injury after a 4-yard carry in the first quarter of the Bengals’ 13-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. It was Anderson’s second game of the preseason and was three weeks after he was cleared to practice.
Anderson tore the ACL in his right knee in the second game of his 2018 season at Oklahoma. The rookie was expected to provide depth to a backfield that features veterans Joe Mixon and Giovani Bernard.
In the third preseason game, Anderson showed why the Bengals used a late-round pick on the running back. He had four catches for 51 yards in his first game action since he was in college and drew praise from rookie Bengals coach Zac Taylor.
But once again, a promising year appears to come to an abrupt halt. At Oklahoma, he suffered three season-ending injuries. In four years, he appeared in only 17 games for the Sooners.
Anderson was one of two running backs Cincinnati selected in the sixth round of this year’s draft. The Bengals also took Texas A&M’s Trayveon Williams, who led the SEC in rushing in 2018.
If Anderson will be out for the entire season, the Bengals will likely have an additional spot available ahead of Saturday’s roster cuts. It could also increase Williams’ role when he returns to the field. He missed the final two preseason games with a foot injury.
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