The Cincinnati Bengals have reinstated punter Brad Robbins to the active roster from injured reserve, the team announced on Monday. Robbins fills the final spot on the 53-man roster, which became available after Trent Brown was placed on IR.
Robbins had been on the Reserve/Injured list since August 27 due to a quadriceps injury.
This move is unexpected, given that current punter Ryan Rehkow has performed well since taking over for Robbins. It’s uncommon for an NFL team to carry two punters on the active roster, raising questions about whether Rehkow’s position is at risk, despite him being an improvement over Robbins so far.
The decision also casts doubt on the likelihood of Myles Murphy or McKinnley Jackson returning from IR this week, as the Bengals opted to use the roster spot on Robbins.
NFL teams are allowed only eight IR-returns during the regular season, with 10 permitted for postseason teams. However, Robbins already counted against this limit when he was designated for return after being placed on IR in Week 1, a time when the Bengals were less certain about Rehkow’s capabilities.
Despite this, the Bengals could have left Robbins on IR and used the roster spot for a defensive lineman or another player who could make a greater impact.
It will be interesting to see how this situation unfolds in the coming weeks.
