3 practice squad players most likely to contribute for Bengals in 2023

2. Michael Thomas

The Bengals had to have some difficult conversations when trimming their roster to 53 players. Cutting Michael Thomas was one of those difficult conversations.

Thomas joined the Bengals in 2021 and played in over 60% of special teams snapsthat year and in 2022. He wasn't utilized a ton on defense but he was one of the special teams aces on the Cincinnati roster.

Should a player get injured either in the secondary or just overall, the Bengals won't hesitate to activate Thomas. His special teams experience is highly valuable to this team and he's also capable of stepping in and playing in the secondary if need be.

1. Stanley Morgan Jr.

The first player to get called up from the practice squad will more than likely be Stanley Morgan Jr. Having to cut him was another difficult move the Bengals had to make this summer but there simply wasn't room for the former Nebraska Cornhusker.

The Bengals could have carried seven receivers with Morgan being the seventh option but they opted to only go with six. Andrei Iosivas played far too well for the Bengals to risk putting him on waivers or having him snatched off the practice squad so he got the final spot and Morgan is now on the practice squad.

Morgan is one of the most important pieces on special teams and we all know the Bengals want him out there. If Ossai lands on IR, Morgan should get activated from the practice squad.