Hudson hurt the pec while trying to make a tackle on special teams in Cincinnati's 31-24 road win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. He scored a receiving touchdown in that game. The injury diagnosis and season-ending outlook come from his agent; the Bengals have not yet announced a corresponding roster move.
What is confirmed: Hudson left the Week 5 game with the pectoral injury and will not return this season, per the agent reports to WLWT (first) and ESPN. What is still open: whether Cincinnati places him on injured reserve. Coach Zac Taylor said Monday the team was still gathering information on that decision.
Hudson, an eighth-year tight end out of Southern Arkansas, has spent the last four seasons with the Bengals. ESPN notes he was a surprise cut in the final roster trim, returned on the practice squad, was elevated for Weeks 1 and 3, and was signed to the active roster on Sept. 29 when cornerback Jalen Davis went on IR. In 42 games with Cincinnati he has 84 catches for 707 yards. This season he has 7 catches for 33 yards and one touchdown on 7 targets.
Behind him on the depth chart, Drew Sample, Erick All and Mike Gesicki are the remaining tight ends on the active roster. Hudson was a reliable underneath option for Joe Burrow when healthy, so the season-long absence tightens that group for the rest of the year.
For RSO owners, treat Hudson as done for 2026. Move him to IR once Cincinnati makes it official, or cut him in shallower formats where the roster spot matters more than the stash. Sample, All and Gesicki are the names to watch for any bump in targets or snaps, but none of them suddenly becomes a locked starter on this report alone.
