Bengals K Mike Nugent returns to practice

Cincinnati Bengals kicker Mike Nugent returned to practice on Thursday after dealing with a groin injury for most of training camp. He connected on 3 of 4 field goals and is expected to play in Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos. Nugent signed a two-year deal with the Bengals in April and is competing with Dave Rayner as the replacement to Shayne Graham—who is now with the Baltimore Ravens. While Nugent was the favor heading into training camp, Rayner has been impressive over the last few weeks—which could make this one of the most interesting position battles to keep an eye on.