Bengals Rookie Edge Cashius Howell Has Wrist Surgery, Likely Headed to IR

The Bengals will be without one of their most promising young pass rushers for a while. Rookie edge Cashius Howell had surgery on his right wrist after getting hurt in Sunday's 43-36 overtime win over the Titans, and Zac Taylor said Monday he'll be out "weeks" and is "trending" toward injured reserve, Bengals beat reporter Paul Dehner Jr. reported.

Howell went down in the second half Sunday and was quickly ruled out. A trip to IR would cost him at least four games.

It's a tough break for a rookie who was starting to show up on tape. Cincinnati took Howell 41st overall in April, its first pick of the draft, after he led the SEC with 11.5 sacks at Texas A&M and was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year. He hasn't put up big numbers yet, but the pressure has been there. PFF had him with 13 pressures heading into Week 8, fifth among rookies, and a 14.8% pass-rush win rate that ranked second among rookie edge rushers in late October. He got his first career sack on Oct. 25 in Baltimore, chasing down Tyler Huntley.

The rest of the injury news was better. Fellow edge Cedric Johnson (ankle) and cornerback DJ Turner (heel), who also left Sunday's game, are both day-to-day, and Turner is expected to travel with the team.

The Bengals are 5-2 and have won three straight, but the defense gave up 36 points to a 1-7 Titans team and Joe Burrow needed five touchdown passes and an overtime scramble to win it. Losing a rotational rusher doesn't help that unit. Cincinnati faces the Falcons on Sunday at Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, and Atlanta will be without one of its own pass rushers.