Aftermath of humid, injury-filled practice leaves Cincinnati Bengals very thin at key defensive position

The second day of padded practice for the Cincinnati Bengals ended up being the most brutal afternoon of training camp thus far. Several players exited the field on a hot and humid Thursday afternoon. Some via their own power, and some via the cart.

Edge defender Cam Sample suffered the last apparent injury on the day, and his appeared to be potentially serious as he was down on the ground for several moments holding his leg. He was carted off the field.

It's obviously too early to tell if Sample's injury is indeed serious, but the Bengals are already reeling at his position. Starters Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard are currently out with minor injuries of their own , which has led to Sample taking snaps with the first team along with Joseph Ossai and Myles Murphy.

Hendrickson and Hubbard will be reevaluated next week, and with Sample now a concern, Ossai and Murphy have very little company. Third-year player Jeff Gunter and rookie sixth-round pick Cedric Johnson are up next for reps behind them, and rookie UDFA Justin Blazek might see a bump in snaps as well.

With luck, the other injuries to happen in Cincinnati Thursday won't be as bad. Rookie first-round pick Amarius Mims was seen carted off the field with a cold towel around his neck, presumably a victim of the 96 degree heat registered at the end of practice. Fellow rookie and third-round pick Jermaine Burton also left the field, though he walked under his own power after suffered what appeared to be a foot injury.

Burton and Mims have been bright spots from the first week of practice, but neither one has experienced the grind of an NFL training camp before. Sometimes the heat just gets to you.

Mike Hilton is no stranger to camp as an eight-year veteran, and he also experienced an injury scare in the middle of practice. Hilton appeared to hurt his leg and walked off the field, but did not go back to the locker room and eventually returned to the defense. One of his first plays back out there saw him guard Tee Higgins on a slot fade, in which Joe Burrow connected with him through the air.

There's still over five weeks until the regular season begins for Cincinnati, and one more practice remains this week before a break on Saturday. Friday's practice may be a good opportunity to give Mims, Burton, and Hilton rest days as the Cincinnati heat isn't supposed to fade away. Rain is on the way Thursday evening which should only increase the humidity as temperatures are expected to be in the high 80s.

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