Bengals iron man OT Brown (groin) to face 49ers

Ben Baby, ESPN Staff WriterOct 27, 2023, 03:25 PM ET
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CINCINNATI — One of the NFL’s most durable players will be on the field this weekend.

Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. will play against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Brown, who has been dealing with a groin injury, was not listed on the game status report that was issued Friday afternoon, a couple of hours after he was a full participant at practice for the first time since the Bengals returned from their bye week.

The four-time Pro Bowler has missed only one game in his six-year career — a Week 17 game against the Bengals when Brown was with Kansas City. Since Brown entered the league in 2018, he is one of eight qualifying linemen to play in at least 99% of his team’s games, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

Cincinnati (3-3) is looking to get over the .500 mark against San Francisco, which has lost two straight games but is still one of the top contenders in the NFC.

At the beginning of the week, Brown said the matchup wasn’t the primary factor in his determination to be on the field.

“I want to be there for my teammates,” Brown said Monday. “That’s what’s most important to me, man. A group of guys who are counting on me to be out there, be available.”

When Brown met with reporters Monday, he indicated he was going to be healthy enough to face the 49ers, whose defensive front features edge rusher Nick Bosa. Since 2020, Bosa ranks seventh in total sacks (36.5) and third in sacks per game among qualifying players (minimum of 40 games).

Brown could have practiced Monday but was held out for an extra day of rest, he said. He was a limited participant on Wednesday and Thursday before being full-go on Friday, which is the team’s lightest practice of the week.

Cincinnati signed Brown in the spring to fortify an offensive line that ranked 30th in pass block win rate in 2022 (ESPN metric powered by NFL Next Gen Stats). While the Bengals have dipped to 31st this season, coach Zac Taylor said Brown has made a positive impact in his first six games.

“I think it’s been good,” Taylor said Friday. “I’ve got confidence in those guys up front.”

Cincinnati is looking to win its third straight game and build momentum after a shaky start to the season. After reaching the AFC Championship Game the past two years, the Bengals started the 2023 season by losing three of their first four.

Even though the Bengals beat the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks in back-to-back weeks, the team has been self-critical of the offensive effort. Cincinnati is 29th in the league in points per drive and last in yards per play entering Week 8.

“I feel like we’re so far in the season now, there’s no room for error,” Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins said Thursday about the offense. “We just gotta come out swinging and just do what we do best, just like we have the past two years.”