Bengals update status of former Clemson offensive lineman Jackson Carman

The Cincinnati Bengals are practicing for Super Bowl 56 without offensive lineman Jackson Carman. The former Clemson Tiger is dealing with a back injury.

Carman must have tweaked his back recently as he was able to fully participate when the team practiced on Wednesday and Thursday last week.

Due to weather, the Bengals practiced at the University of Cincinnati in their indoor facility.

Jackson Carman, a rookie second-round draft pick, played more than half the snaps for the Bengals at right guard in the AFC championship game. Cincinnati took the win in overtime over the Kansas City Chiefs.

If Carman can’t go for Cincinnati in the Super Bowl, they’re likely to go ahead with Hakeem Adeniji at right guard.

Bengals waiting on Uzomah return

The Bengals found a path to victory in Kansas City without breakout tight end C.J. Uzomah. Still, Cincinnati would love to have their offensive weapon back for Super Bowl LVI. Uzomah has done rehab work on the sidelines during Bengals practices but his status is still very questionable.

On Monday, Bengals coach Zac Taylor shared that Uzomah suffered a sprained MCL. Recovery time varies on the severity of his injury, so he could miss the Super Bowl.

“Bengals TE C.J. Uzomah appears to have a sprained MCL, per coach Zac Taylor,” tweeted ESPN’s Bengals reporter Ben Baby. “Taylor said it’s encouraging so far.”

Initial reports suggested a possible MCL sprain for Uzomah, which Taylor has confirmed. Originally, the former Auburn star did not return to the game on Sunday for the Bengals. Still, Taylor and Uzomah are hoping that he’ll be ready to go in the Super Bowl.

“That’s the worst feeling,” Uzomah said, via Pro Football Talk. “I did it all of last year — with the exception of two games — and it was a feeling that I didn’t want to have to deal with again. . . . It was ridiculously tough. It’s the AFC Championship. You don’t want to be on the sideline, but it was fun to see the boys — with the resolve they had — come back and get this win.”

This season is Uzomah’s seventh in the NFL, and he has spent all of them with the Bengals. Entering this season, he saw an inconsistent role in the receiving game. But this year, Uzomah has turned into a valuable target for Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. During the regular season, Uzomah caught 49 passes on 63 targets for 493 yards and five touchdowns. Through three playoff games, he has 13 receptions on 16 targets for 135 yards and one touchdown.