On a day the Bengals offense was rolling with five touchdowns and put up 41 points, they still take a blow. Emerging rookie tight end Erick All Jr. is feared to have a Torn ACL in his right knee. This is All’s second torn ACL, both in the same knee. The injuries occurred nearly one year apart from each other, the first on October 23rd, 2023, and in week 9 of the NFL season on November 3rd, 2024. All was able to rehab from the first injury in time to return to training camp, being cleared on July 28th. The hope is for a similar rehab timeline this time around.

All had quickly carved out an important role in the Bengals offense as a rookie. A key contributor as a blocker, the Bengals offense hadn’t looked more balanced in the run and pass game in years. The tight end was 6th on the team in receptions (20), 6th in receiving yards (158), and had a long of 28 yards. All carried a 62.3 PFF receiving grade thru eight games before he was given a 70.6 offense grade from PFF against the Raiders before exiting with the injury. All’s role on offense was only expanding as his effectiveness on the field was becoming more and more noticeable. Now, we’ll have to wait until 2025 to see the Iowa product on the field again.

What is next for the Bengals at tight end? At 24 years old and facing a 2nd ACL recovery in two years the expectation for All now has to be tempered. Those are two factors that will be tough to overcome. All’s age as a rookie suggests he is already close to his full potential, and another rehab process could hurt his development. With hope he can still be the team’s future “TE1” on the depth chart, “all” eyes with be on Erick in the offseason.

The Bengals future at the tight end position is much more unclear now. All will be 25 with two ACL injuries and a small sample size of play to lean on. Mike Gesicki is on a one-year deal, and while he’s had flashes, his production has come from the slot position. The Bengals will still be in search of a complete tight end. All’s injury makes the opportunity to upgrade the position easier should the situation present itself.