Drew Sample Able To Practice

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Drew Sample (knee), who missed all but one game last year with a torn MCL and PCL, wasn't supposed to be cleared until training camp. However, he was able to get into the team's last three practices, chalking it up to the team's light schedule that allowed him to get into 7-on-7 drills during the spring. Sample, a former second-round pick by the Bengals in 2019 out of Washington, had his best season in 2020 when he had caught 40 of his 53 targets for 349 yards and one touchdown in 16 games (13 starts). The 27-year-old has never had a big role in Cincy's offense and probably won't in 2023, either, unless the injury-prone Irv Smith Jr. goes down with another injury.