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          Source: Bengals hope Sam Hubbard can return by end of season

          • Ben Baby, ESPN Staff WriterDec 19, 2022, 05:53 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 -- Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard is expected to miss time with a left calf injury, a source confirmed to ESPN.

          Hubbard left in the second quarter of the 34-23 win Sunday over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was eventually ruled out, leaving Cincinnati without one of its best pass-rushers. While an exact timetable for Hubbard's absence is still unclear, a source said the team remains hopeful he can return by the end of the regular season.

          Hubbard has started all 14 games for the Bengals this season, including the Sunday road win at Raymond James Stadium. He leads the team with 6.5 sacks.

          That leaves Cincinnati without its top two edge rushers. Defensive end Trey Hendrickson missed the Sunday game with a right wrist injury. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Hendrickson is expected to return for the postseason.

          Cincinnati ranks 30th in the NFL in total sacks with 22. Hubbard and Hendrickson have combined for 12.5 of those. Despite the low sack total, the Bengals' defense has played an integral role in Cincinnati's success this season.

          On Sunday against Tampa Bay, the defense forced four turnovers on as many drives, which allowed the Bengals to erase a 17-0 deficit, beat Tampa Bay and stretch its winning streak to six games.

          "Guys just stepped up at every position," Bengals coach Zac Taylor said after the game. "This is the type of year where you're going to lose some guys. So, guys need to step up and keep the team going."

          NFL Network first reported on the extent of Hubbard's injury.