Cincinnati starting nose tackle DJ Reader was one of two Bengals to be carted off the field during Saturday’s 27-24 overtime victory against the Minnesota Vikings, and he will miss the rest of the season with a torn quad tendon, according to a report from NFL Network.
Reader was injured with 7:46 left in the first quarter after he went to the ground on a run by Ty Chandler. Reader was tended to by Cincinnati’s training staff before being surrounded by his teammates and getting carted to the locker room.
The team said he would not return to the game several minutes later with what was initially ruled as a right knee injury.
Cincinnati also lost cornerback DJ Ivey, who went down with a left knee injury.
Ivey was covering a punt late in the first quarter and fell to the turf. He was examined on the sideline before being transported to the locker room and was subsequently ruled out. In addition to special teams coverage, Ivey serves as the primary backup for the Bengals in their secondary and their fourth defensive back behind DJ Turner, Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton.
Reader, 29, is in his eighth NFL season, fourth with the Bengals. This season, he has 34 tackles (two for loss), one sack, seven quarterback hits and a fumble recovery.
Ivey, 23, was a seventh-round pick in the 2023 draft.
The Bengals improved to 8-6, while Minnesota dropped to 7-7. Both teams currently hold wild-card spots in their respective conferences.
–Field Level Media
