The Cincinnati Bengals have a tough opponent coming out of their bye week: the San Francisco 49ers, who are 5-2 and one of the top teams in the league.
But the Niners will be a bit less fearsome than usual on Sunday as they're missing their field captain, quarterback Brock Purdy. The Niners announced on Wednesday that Purdy had been placed in concussion protocol, and later said veteran Sam Darnold would start in his place.
Purdy has been magic for San Francisco ever since he was pressed into service after the team lost both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo to injuries during the 2022 season.