JUST IN: Bengals Waive Prolific Starter Ahead of Week 5 without Replacement

The Cincinnati Bengals made a key roster change before of their Week 5 game against the Baltimore Ravens, officially waiving second-year punter Brad Robbins.

Robbins, a sixth-round pick by the Bengals in the 2023 NFL Draft, missed the first four games of the season due to a quadriceps injury and was just activated from the reserve/injured list earlier this week.

There was speculation that Robbins would take over as the main punter upon his return, but that won’t be happening.

The Bengals’ decision to waive Robbins means that rookie punter Ryan Rehkow will remain the team’s starter. This likely wasn’t a tough choice, as Rehkow has been outstanding this season, leading the NFL in both gross punting average (58.4) and net punting average (49.7). Rehkow appears to be the Bengals’ long-term answer at punter, a critical position in the NFL, and the team seems pleased with his performance.

As for Robbins, he’s now free to sign with another team. There’s typically a demand for punters in the league, so he’ll likely get another opportunity soon.

The Bengals also seem set at kicker, with Evan McPherson off to a solid start this season, hitting nine of 10 field goal attempts, including all three from beyond 50 yards. McPherson has held the kicker role since 2021.

This decision to stick with Rehkow comes at a crucial time for the 1-3 Bengals, as they prepare for divisional games, starting with the Ravens in Week 5, with three of their next six matchups against division rivals.