5 Former Bengals hoping to advance this weekend
By Glenn Adams
TE Scotty Washington (Ravens)
Heading into his second year as head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, Zac Taylor identified wide receiver Scotty Washington as a player he thought could do some things in the league. Fans thought he could be the next Auden Tate, an undrafted wideout who excels in catching 50/50 balls.
The Bengals signed the Demon Deacon receiver as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2020 NFL draft.
After years of playing wide receiver at Wake Forest, Washington switched to tight end, hoping that would give him a better chance to make the 53-man roster. Unfortunately, that did not happen.
Following the 2022 preseason, the Bengals released Washington. Since then, he has been on and off the practice squads of the Patriots and Steelers. In November, after Mark Andrews went down with a significant injury, the Ravens signed Washington to their practice squad, where he remains.
Now, the former Bengals wideout has the opportunity to advance in the playoffs with Cincinnati’s divisional rival.
There is a slim chance that these former Bengals get to play in their respective teams' divisional matchups. While on the active roster, Allen is still third on the depth chart. And even though each playoff team is allowed to call up two practice squad players for each game, it does not appear, at least at this point, that Brown, Washington, or Johnson III will get elevated this weekend.
Nevertheless, these five ex-Bengals are members of teams with the opportunity to be a part of a team competing for a Super Bowl ring. We should wish them luck. Except for Washington. And Allen. But we’re good with Detroit, Green Bay, and Buffalo, right?