Evan McPherson, the Bengals’ all-time postseason scoring leader, continues his march up the franchise all-time scoring ladder with a revamped kicking routine.
McPherson, who missed the final five games last year on injured reserve, has made his rehab regimen part of his overall plan with an eye to stretching out his durability.
“Health is the most important thing I’m focusing on. I can’t play this game if I’m hurt,’ McPherson says. “This offseason, I’m trying to figure out more ways to strengthen the small muscles that I had problems with and just continue to do that. With all that work in strengthening it, I’m making sure I’m back stronger than ever. Training those little muscles you don’t even think about.”
McPherson tore his abductor muscle Dec. 1 against the Steelers after battling soreness there in small stretches during his first two seasons. In an effort to make sure the muscles hold up, his new routine adds anywhere from an extra 30 minutes to an hour to his work. The greatest rookie kicker ever suddenly turns 26 the week his fifth training camp opens, and he’s learned some things and comes in kicking at 100 percent.
“I make sure to at least lengthen my warmup where I’m actually warming up and not just stretching,” McPherson says. “Actually getting the muscles fired up and ready to go. Make sure I touch everything. I feel like in the past … maybe I wouldn’t do enough.”
He understands there’s a balance between overdoing it and exhausting all the good kicks in warmups, and not warming up enough.
“Some guys work out before games really getting their muscles firing and ready to go. I feel like I could use more of that,” McPherson says. “Not fatigue your muscles before games and practice, but actually getting them woken up. It’s the balance. You have to find out what works best for you.”