Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor’s press conference Aug. 20
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor gives team updates on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, ahead of Saturday’s Indianapolis Colts game.
Bengals guard Cordell Volson will likely miss the 2024 season due to a shoulder injury requiring surgery.Volson’s injury exacerbates the Bengals’ depth issues at guard, with other players also facing injuries.The Bengals are exploring options to replace Volson, including signing free agent Dalton Risner or making a trade.Volson’s absence is a significant loss of experience for the Bengals’ offensive line.
Cincinnati Bengals guard Cordell Volson will undergo shoulder surgery and is expected to miss the upcoming season, head coach Zac Taylor announced on Aug. 20. Volson suffered an injury in practice before the team left for their second preseason game against the Commanders.
Volson, entering his fourth season with the Bengals, has started 48 games for the team over the last three years. The Bengals drafted Volson in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft out of North Dakota State.
“Cordell is going to have shoulder surgery, so I expect him to be out the year,” Taylor said. “We’ll get more information on that, but right now that’s a tough one for him. He’s been a guy that’s really worked hard for us. I wouldn’t say it’s set in stone until he has the surgery, but that’s the direction it seems to be heading.”
This injury is significant for many reasons, mostly because it leaves the Bengals’ depth thin at his important position. Veteran guards Lucas Patrick and Cody Ford are dealing with injuries right now, but Taylor said they aren’t serious.
With Volson likely out for the year, the Bengals need to add a guard over the next few weeks. Here are their options: Sign veteran guard Dalton Risner, trade with another team for a guard, or wait and sign one after teams release their final 53-man roster next Tuesday.
Risner visited the Bengals on Tuesday and is taking more visits before making a decision on where he’ll play this season. Taylor opted not to comment on how the visit went when asked about him during his press conference.
Besides the hit of mounting injuries at the guard position, losing Volson also means the Bengals will lose an experienced starter on offense. Down the stretch of a long season, players with Volson’s experience prove to be invaluable because you never know when they might be needed.
With Patrick, Ford and Volson out during practice on Aug. 20, rookie fifth-round pick Jalen Rivers started at guard with the first-team offense. It’s not an ideal situation for the Bengals to have two rookies starting at guard, given how much quarterback Joe Burrow passes the ball in their offense.
Volson struggled in what could be his final season with the Bengals in 2024. He was benched at the end of the season in favor of Ford and handled the situation with class. The Bengals asked Volson to take a pay cut this spring and he agreed to it.
The Bengals drafted guard Dylan Fairchild in the third round this spring, signaling the end of Volson’s tenure as a starter. Fairchild has all but locked up the starting left guard spot.
Volson likely would have been the Bengals’ top backup guard option if any injury occurred to Lucas Patrick or Fairchild. Ford’s best role for the Bengals is at swing tackle, where he is capable of backing up Amarius Mims and Orlando Brown Jr.