The Cincinnati Bengals elevated backup punter Drue Chrisman on Saturday signaling the team is making a change at punter before the upcoming AFC North clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Chrisman, 25, will get his shot to start for the Bengals at punter while veteran Kevin Huber remains on the roster. Huber, 37, has been in the loop all week as to what the plan would be. Both Huber and Chrisman took reps at practice this week.
Special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons now can give Chrisman a chance in a must-win game to see if he will be his future punter for years to come. Huber is in the middle of his 14th season with the team and has been a reliable punter for the franchise for years. He is the Bengals’ longest-tenured player and finished last season with 207 career games played as Bengal which tied cornerback Ken Riley for most in team history.
After using the bye week to evaluate all options, it’s clear the Bengals want more in the punting game. Huber is averaging 37.4 net yards per punt. Chrisman and Huber battled for the spot during training camp with the veteran ultimately winning the job.
With Chrisman punting, the Bengals get younger. Chrisman signed with Cincinnati in 2021 as a free agent out of Ohio State and spent the year on moving around on and off from the practice squad. The Bengals feel comfortable with Chrisman and he said he has been preparing all week like he normally does. He also said he’s comfortable kicking in cold temperatures as the weather is going to be a factor on Sunday with temperatures dipping into the low 20s.
As the starting punter against the Steelers, Huber will also be the holder on placekicks.
The best-case scenario for the Bengals is Chrisman shows he’s the man for the job and Cincinnati can move forward knowing they have their punter for the foreseeable future. If not, Huber, one of the most reliable players for the Bengals for the last decade remains on the roster and they can always go back to him.
As the Bengals enter the most important stretch of their season sitting at 5-4 winless in the division, the team can’t afford any miscues on special teams. It’s clear the Bengals want to see if Chrisman can give the team a lift as they make a playoff push.
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