Cincinnati’s defensive depth just took a big blow.

Well, this certainly isn’t the news that any fans of the Cincinnati Bengals wanted to hear. Defensive end Cameron Sample will miss the entire 2024 NFL season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon during training camp, according to Bengals head coach Zac Taylor.

Zac Taylor says Cam Sample has torn his Achilles and will be out for the rest of the season #Bengals

— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) August 5, 2024

Sample was carted off the field after suffering an apparent leg injury last week, and now a worst-case scenario has come to fruition. His presence will be missed out on the field.

“That was unfortunate,” Taylor said of the injury to Sample. “Cam has been a huge part of our team. He played a lot of different roles, he’s been awesome in the locker room. We’ll obviously support him during his recovery, and we plan on him being around. … Unfortunate for him, and of course the team because he’s a big part of it.

“Consistent player and consistent person,” Taylor added of Sample. “He’s a top notch human being, effects everybody the right way. He’s always embraced his role and kind of been a, ‘whatever  I can do to help the team win,’ type of guy since we drafted him.”

Injuries are an inherent risk of training camp, and they’re virtually unavoidable, as several occur for each team every year. But, that doesn’t make it any easier to swallow when it happens to a player on your team.

The Bengals selected Sample in the fourth round (11th overall pick) in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Tulne. He played in 47 games for the team over the past three seasons, including three starts. During that time he compiled 68 combined tackles, 20 quarterback hits and five sacks. He played over a third of all defensive snaps for Cincinnati last season (34%) and he was also a frequent contributor on special teams.

Sample was projected to provide some added depth for the Bengals on the defensive line during the 2024 season, but now the team will need to look elsewhere. Guys like Myles Murphy and Joseph Ossai could potentially be in line to see increased snaps as a result of the injury.

Sample will be an unrestricted free agent in 2025, so it’s fair to wonder if he’s already played his last game as a member of the Bengals.