Bengals TE Tanner Hudson Suffers Pectoral Tear

ESPN’s Ben Baby confirms Hudson is expected to miss the remainder of the year as a result of the injury. His absence will deal a blow to Cincinnati’s offense in general and tight end depth in particular. The Bengals’ special teams units will also be shorthanded moving forward.

2026 marks Hudson’s fourth season with Cincinnati. The 31-year-old has played a part-time role on offense throughout his Bengals tenure, something which continued through his first four appearances of the current campaign. He managed seven receptions for 33 yards and a touchdown prior to suffering the injury. The former UDFA also remained a regular figure on special teams, where his absence will be most acutely felt.

Hudson has played exclusively on one-year contracts over the course of his Bengals tenure (similar to his previous stints with the Buccaneers, 49ers and Giants). He is a pending free agent as a result, so a season-ending injury will of course hurt the Southern Arkansas product’s market value. For now, Hudson will turn his attention to a lengthy recovery period.

The Bengals will move forward with Mike Gesicki, Drew Sample and Erick All on their tight end depth chart. The team could look for an internal Hudson replacement or explore free agent and/or trade options. Cincinnati entered Tuesday with roughly $8.4MM in cap space.