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          Bengals rookie RB Anderson has torn ACL again

          • Ben Baby, ESPN Staff WriterAug 30, 2019, 05:09 PM
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              Ben Baby covers the Cincinnati Bengals for ESPN. He joined the company in July 2019. Prior to ESPN, he worked for various newspapers in Texas, most recently at The Dallas Morning News where he covered college sports. He provides daily coverage of the Bengals for ESPN.com, while making appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN's NFL shows and ESPN Radio programs. A native of Grapevine, Texas, he graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor's degree in journalism. He is an adjunct journalism professor at Southern Methodist University and a member of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).
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          CINCINNATI -- The season is likely over for one of the Bengals' promising rookies.

          Head coach Zac Taylor confirmed on Friday that running back Rodney Anderson tore his ACL again in Thursday's preseason finale. This is the second time in as many years that Anderson suffered the exact same injury.

          The sixth-round pick left Thursday's game with a right knee injury after a 4-yard carry in the first quarter of the Bengals' 13-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. It was Anderson's second game of the preseason and was three weeks after he was cleared to practice.

          Anderson tore the ACL in his right knee in the second game of the 2018 season at Oklahoma. The rookie was expected to provide depth for a Bengals backfield that features veterans Joe Mixon and Giovani Bernard.

          In the third preseason game, Anderson showed why the Bengals used a late-round pick on him. He had four catches for 51 yards in his first game action since he was in college and drew praise from Taylor.

          But once again, a promising year appears to have come to an abrupt halt. At Oklahoma, he suffered three season-ending injuries. In four years, he appeared in only 17 games for the Sooners.

          Anderson was one of two running backs Cincinnati selected in the sixth round of this year's draft. The Bengals also took Texas A&M's Trayveon Williams, who led the SEC in rushing in 2018.

          If Anderson will be out for the entire season, the Bengals will likely have an additional spot available ahead of Saturday's roster cuts. It also could increase Williams' role when he returns to the field. He missed the final two preseason games with a foot injury.