Cincinnati Bengals Thursday Practice Report.

As the Cincinnati Bengals team return to the practice fields today, after having the Christmas holiday off yesterday, there is still a number of players missing from practice today.

Linebacker Vontaze Burfict is one of those players, who didn’t take part in practice as he continues to recover from a concussion he suffered late in the game last Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. He also wasn’t on the fields on Tuesday, for the team’s workout. The second year player is one of three players who were put under concussion protocol Monday morning.

The tight end position is beat up, where both Tyler Eifet and Jermaine Gresham remained on the sidelines due to neck and hamstring injuries respectively. Gresham was limited on Tuesday, and today was listed in the injury report as “did not practice.” Eifert left the game on Sunday, with a stinger that is still bothering him. If both don’t play, it will be Alex Smith and Orson Charles to fill in.

Not a surprise here, cornerback Terrance Newman missed today’s practice as he continues to rehab his MCL sprain, he suffered it in the week 14 Cincinnati victory over the Indianapolis Colts. The injury was expected to keep him out 1-3 weeks, and we are in week 3. So, it will be likely Newman will comeback for the playoffs either the wild card round game next weekend, or have a bye before hosting a divisional round game in two weeks. The only way that could happen, is a Cincinnati win, plus a Patriots loss to the Bills will give the Bengals the No. 2 seed. The top two seeds in each conference gets a first round bye.

Did Not Practice: Tyler Eifert, Vontaze Burfict, Terrance Newman, Devon Still, Jermaine Gresham.

Limited: Dre Kirkpatrick, Vincent Rey, Alex Smith, Andre Smith.

Full: James Harrison