Monday’s game at Empower Field at Mile High will be a bit of a homecoming for three Cincinnati Bengals players — health permitting.
Bengals tight end Noah Fant and guard Dalton Risner were both drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2019, and running back Samaje Perine spent the 2023 season in Denver.
Advertisement
Fant was picked by the Broncos in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft out of Iowa. He totaled 170 receptions for 1,905 yards and 10 touchdowns through three seasons (47 games) before being traded to the Seattle Seahawks in 2022 as part of the blockbuster Russell Wilson trade. The Seahawks cut Fant this summer and he landed in Cincinnati. The 27-year-old tight end has recorded 12 catches for 80 yards and one score through three games. Fant is currently in concussion protocol, giving him an uncertain status for Week 4.
Risner was picked by Denver in the second round of the 2019 draft out of Kansas State. He spent the first four years of his career with the Broncos, starting 83 games. Following a two-year stint with the Minnesota Vikings, Risner signed with the Bengals this summer. He started Cincinnati’s last two games and is currently nursing a calf injury, but Risner expects to be ready to play Monday.
Perine played for three NFL teams — including two stints with the Bengals — before landing in Denver in 2023. He totaled 693 yards from scrimmage and scored one touchdown in his lone season with the Broncos. After spending the 2024 season with the Kansas City Chiefs, Perine returned to Cincinnati this spring. He is currently dealing with a hand/thumb injury, but it’s not serious.
Monday’s game (6:15 p.m. MT) will be nationally televised on ABC. Denver’s considered a home favorite.
Advertisement
Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL: Broncos hosting 3 ex-players when Bengals visit for ‘MNF’