Tight end troubles take toll on Bengals
Published 1:59 am Thursday, August 6, 2009
GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Reggie Kelly went on injured reserve Wednesday after having surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles’ tendon in his left leg.
The starting tight end was injured during a non-contact drill two days earlier. Kelly, an 11-year veteran, is expected to be fully healed by the start of next season.
It was the first significant injury of the Bengals’ training camp. Kelly was the team’s third-leading receiver last year, catching 31 passes for 207 yards.
The Bengals also had two more tight ends get hurt on Wednesday.
Reserve Ben Utecht had a concussion during an evening practice on Wednesday and was taken to a hospital as a precaution. During a full-speed drill, Utecht appeared to hit helmets with linebacker Darryl Blackstock and fell to the ground, temporarily unconscious.
Teammates knelt next to Utecht and prayed while he was strapped to a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance for the trip to the hospital, where he was kept for observation. Bengals spokesman Jack Brennan said Utecht had full movement of his arms and legs.
Daniel Coats, another reserve tight end, sprained his ankle in a morning workout and was on crutches for the evening session. The injuries leave only two rookie tight ends — third-round pick Chase Coffman and free agent Darius Hill.