Giovani Bernard Injury: Bengals RB not at practice

Cincinnati Bengals running back Giovani Bernard suffered a hip injury in Week 8 against the Baltimore Ravens, and while it was initially reported that his injury wasn’t expected to be significant, Bernard is now set to miss a second straight game. He didn’t really have a chance at suiting up against the Cleveland Browns last week after a quick turn-around to Thursday Night Football, but a long week of rest won’t help him get ready for this week’s marquee matchup against the New Orleans Saints.

According to ESPN NFL Nation’s Coley Harvey, Bernard is one of a few notable players on the Bengals who aren’t practicing today, and his chances of playing on Sunday seem non-existent. I have a feeling the Bengals could list him questionable, but I would consider him extremely doubtful. There’s no point in playing him if he hasn’t been healthy enough to practice, and the fact of the matter is that nobody expected him to play this week.

Bernard has 109 carries for 446 yards and five touchdowns on the season, though his 22 receptions are lower than what we expected. LSU rookie Jeremy Hill has exceeded expectations, and there’s a chance he could end up being a bigger part of the offense than Bernard down-the-road. Hill and Bernard could form one of the NFL’s best 1-2 punches for years to come, especially since they mesh well when looking at their skill-sets.