Cincinnati Bengals Add to Practice Squad During Bye Week

  The Bengals made an offensive addition to their practice squad on Monday, signing center Jacob Bayer. He has been on the market since the preseason as a rookie out of Arkansas State University. He was a college free agent and signed with the Buffalo Bills in May.

The signing comes with Matt Lee dealing with a knee injury. The Bengals placed him on injured reserve last week. He'll miss at least three more games. Lucas Patrick has served as their backup center with Lee out.

The Bengals are 3-6 on the season entering their bye week with one of the worst defenses in NFL history. They've lost back-to-back games, giving up 86 points in the process.

Bayer won't be helping on that front as Zac Taylor looks for solutions following two games allowing a combined 1,078 yards of offense. It's not prompting any staff changes from Taylor.

"We've been through this situation many years and come out the other side, playing for championships, winning divisions, by sticking with what we believe in and not doing what everybody wants you to do," Taylor said on Monday. "I'm thankful that in 2020, they didn't kick me out of here, so we were able to go to the Super Bowl the next year. And so again, I believe in the people that we've hired. I sit in there and watch these guys coach. I know what they're made of. I know where we can continue to grow. So when you believe in people, you don't just make a gut reaction from what people want to see that aren't necessarily a part of it. I understand the frustration."

Cincinnati officially starts the bye week after a Tuesday practice. The Bengals will try to regroup in Week 11 when they head to Pittsburgh to play the Steelers on Sunday, Nov. 16.