The Cincinnati Bengals sent Auden Tate to injured reserve Tuesday, ending his breakout season.
While announcing the move, the Bengals noted Damion Willis will come back up off the practice squad to fill Tate’s spot.
Tate went down last Sunday with a knee injury. He finishes his breakout year with 575 yards and a touchdown over 12 appearances, earning a reputation as a big-play artist in the process.
It’s unfortunate Tate’s season is over early given the evaluation mode of the franchise right now. Luckily, it doesn’t sound like an overly serious injury and is far removed from the scary hit that had him carted off a few games ago.
Given the big developmental leap from Tate this year, it’s safe to presume he’ll be back next season. He did well in place of A.J. Green for a struggling offense.
