How the Bengals offense must adapt after Tanner Hudson's season-ending injury

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tanner Hudson made some huge plays in Week 5's 31-24 win over the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. Unfortunately, that also appears to have served as the site for Hudson's last game this season.

WLWT's Charlie Clifford broke the news that Hudson suffered a torn pectoral muscle this past Sunday and that would presumably send him to the season-ending injured reserve list.

This is yet another plot twist in a young 2026 campaign full of them for the Bengals' stacked group of pass-catchers, whose depth has been tested seemingly at every turn.

Cincinnati's so-called easy schedule has been anything but with cluster injuries

We were down to Jordan Battle, PJ Jules, and Russ Yeast at safety in Week 4. And starting nickelback Jalen Davis is on injured reserve. But that's the mere tip of the iceberg as far as injuries this season.

Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins always make the Bengals' offensive weapons a strength of the team. However, Higgins has struggled to stay healthy for years running and suffered an adductor injury versus Jacksonville that threatened to keep him out in Miami, though he did play.

Chase had a concussion scare against the Jags but cleared protocol to ball out this last Sunday.

Beyond Chase and Higgins, Joe Burrow's banged-up targets now unfortunately include Tanner Hudson getting the worst news of anyone. Rookie Colbie Young has missed multiple games already, too.

This is only five games in. There's an average of one significant contributor to the Bengals' elite passing attack going down each week. That's not ideal to say the least.

Tell you what, Hudson is a big-bodied, highly reliable target Burrow has developed a serious rapport with over the years. Hudson's excellent route and hands catch for a TD were beauties to behold:

It's almost like Burrow dropping back to pass a billion times is a bad strategy though.

Now granted, Cincinnati's offense was much better balanced when facing the Dolphins' far inferior roster. Will that carry over beyond the bye? I'm not holding my breath unless Samaje Perine is the confirmed starting running back over Chase Brown.

Who can step up in Tanner Hudson's absence?

Seventh-round rookie Jack Endries was looked at as one of the least-deserving players to be drafted so late. The ex-University of Texas standout also played at Cal with Fernando Mendoza. He's no stranger to big-time football. Would love to see more of him.

Then of course we have Drew Sample and his supposed run blocking prowess, plus Erick All Jr., who has all the talent in the world to be the TE1 of the future.

Mike Gesicki is a de facto WR3, so the gig is there for All's to take if he can. The issue is, he fumbled needlessly in Week 5 and Zac Taylor got in his face about committing a penalty. That's the type of stuff that costs you your job. as a player. Or at least burns a lot of goodwill from the coaching staff.

I'm of the mindset that the Bengals just need to go fully in on 11 personnel. Forget all this 12 personnel under center stuff. Dohnte Meyers and Gesicki rotating in and out is the optimal strategy.

Meyers is versatile enough to play on the boundary, which gives Chase and Higgins more flexibility on where they can align and more unpredictability schematically. With Gesicki, he's almost exclusively in the slot. Locking an elite playmaker like Chase on the boundary can work, but he's so dynamic as a route-runner and YAC-getter that he ought to get some serious run in the slot.

So as far as who can step up in lieu of Hudson, I'm looking at Endries as a new game day active staple. Beyond him, this really has the chance to be the Dohnte Meyers Show. But we'll see how it plays out. I know Burrow loves him some Gesicki, and I do too, but he and Meyers should be in a strict timeshare.

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