Bengals rookie out of Michigan to have thumb surgery, will miss opener

Kris Jenkins Jr.’s NFL debut will have to wait.

The Cincinnati Bengals’ second-round pick out of Michigan will have surgery to repair a thumb injury suffered this week in practice and will miss the team’s season-opener Sunday against the New England Patriots, head coach Zac Taylor said Friday.

Taylor did not rule out the 6-foot-3, 310-pound defensive tackle for Week 2 against the Kansas City Chiefs and will evaluate his status next week.

“He can manage that,” Taylor told reporters regarding the injury. “It’s better to not play him this week. We’ll see how it goes starting next week.”

Jenkins was selected with the 49th pick in April and was expected to be a key piece along the Bengals’ line despite not being listed as a starter on the depth chart.

The son of former NFL defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Sr. spent four years at Michigan, appearing in 44 games and making 32 starts. He received all-Big Ten honors in 2022 and 2023, helping the Wolverines go 28-1 over those two seasons and winning the national championship last year.

Jenkins totaled 112 tackles, four sacks and an interception in his NCAA career.