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Recovery timeline of key Bengals injury revealed

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By John Sheeran | Last updated 10/5/23

Rookie wide receiver and punt returner Charlie Jones showed his value to the Cincinnati Bengals as quickly as he found himself on the Reserve/Injured list. The fourth-round pick who returned a Week 2 punt for 81 yards and a touchdown ended up on I.R. last week with a thumb injury.

Jones doesn't expect to be out for any longer than he has to be. He told reporters Wednesday that he's confident of a return once his four weeks on I.R. are up, putting Week 9 as the projected target.

Charlie Jones said he had surgery on his thumb a couple of days ago and is confident he’ll be back as soon as the IR period ends (Week 9 vs Buffalo).
— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) October 4, 2023

Week 4 was the start of Jones' mandatory four weeks to stay on I.R. With one week in the books, Jones has three more weeks to rest and recover from surgery performed on his thumb.

The Bengals have two more games until their Week 7 bye, and get back in action in Week 8 against the San Francisco 49ers.

If necessary, the Bengals could designate Jones to return after four weeks without having him count against the roster for up to three weeks. Judging by Jones' optimism, that doesn't seem to be in the plans at this time.

Jones has played in three games for the Bengals so far in his rookie season. He's returned eight punts for 150 yards and the aforementioned touchdown that accounted for 81 of those yards. As a receiver, Jones has one catch for six yards on two targets.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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