Breaking down Bengals injury report ahead of Week 1

The Cincinnati Bengals' initial injury report doesn't bode well for the tight end unit as three of the team's four rostered tight ends are still working their way back up to full health.

Heading into Week 1, the Bengals released their first injury report on Wednesday which predictably included three tight ends: Devin Asiasi, Mitchell Wilcox, and Drew Sample.

Each earned the following designations with Wilcox and Sample on the fastest track to recovery. Sample was a full participant in practice yesterday after nursing a minor knee issue.

Bengals' injury report for Week 1 includes three tight ends

Sample, a 2019 second-rounder, has posted 56 catches for 460 yards in his Bengals career and offers plenty of value in the run-blocking game. He may not make as hefty an impact in the passing attack, but he remains listed as the TE2 behind Hayden Hurst.

Wilcox, a former undrafted free agent, suffered an ankle injury earlier this summer and was a limited participant in practice. He recorded just three catches for 16 yards last season and played most of his snaps on special teams -- he'll likely continue doing so in 2022.

Finally, Asiasi is the new tight end addition who the Bengals claimed off waivers roughly a week ago. Despite the Bengals' failed pursuit of O.J. Howard, Asiasi serves as a fine backup option looking to jumpstart his career in Cincy.

Asiasi's injury is believed to be minor, and the Bengals will continue to monitor his health and progress.

Cincinnati plan to release two more injury reports this week ahead of the Week 1 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and hopefully at least one of the listed tight ends will have recovered to full health by then.