MKRob Sports

Less than 48 hours after signing his contract, rookie right tackle Andre Smith suffered a fractured foot late in Tuesday’s practice and is going to be out of action for what head coach Marvin Lewis called “a few weeks.”

In a statement released through the Bengals public relations department, Lewis said, ”Andre suffered a small fracture in his left foot during a non-contact drill. Our medical staff tells me the injury will not require surgery. It’s too soon to closely predict how long it will be before he can return to practice. But it looks like he’s going to miss a few weeks.”

The impact of the injury remains to be seen. If it goes longer than a few weeks, it is a severe blow to Smith’s development, already stunted by a 30-day holdout. It also throws the Bengals’ final roster for a loop. Smith does have a roster exemption for two weeks, but after it expires they may have to keep 10 offensive linemen instead of nine depending on the extent of the layoff.

“A few weeks,” could mean anything. Cornerbacks David Jones and Morgan Trent suffered foot fractures during this preseason and their rehab took about five to six weeks. Jones is still coming back after having surgery the first week of August and they hope he can play in the opener.

Smith’s rehab may not be as long because both Jones and Trent had surgery, but they are also smaller men. Citing a source, NFL Network reported Smith will be out seven to 10 days. The Bengals don’t comment on injuries, but their experience with similar injuries indicate it could be longer.

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