Rookie running back Jarveon Williams got the call Saturday.
Just before the team bused to the airport for Saturday's trip to Minnesota and Sunday's game (1 p.m.-Cincinnati's Local 12) word came down that Bengals rookie running back Joe Mixon was ruled out of the second straight game with a concussion. That move, like the Bengals, was already on the bus because earlier in the day they suddenly ended the season of backup center-guard T.J. Johnson (pectoral) when they put him on injured reserve and called up rookie running back Jarveon Williams in a nod to their pre-season rushing leader.
After Friday's walk-through the Bengals updated their injury report to show that Johnson had been injured. On Fridays the Bengals go through stretching and lifting after their work on the field so that's probably where Johnson got hurt. He started four games at right guard in place of the injured Trey Hopkins in games two through five while serving as the back-up center. That job most likely now falls to Hopkins with first-year back-up guard Alex Redmond most likely being active for the second straight game and third time this season.
The offensive line situation evolved while rookie center-guard J.J. Dielman left the practice squad to sign with Denver. Dielman, a fifth-round pick out of Utah, had been waived in the final cut and claimed by the Rams on waivers before he re-surfaced on the practice squad two weeks later.
There is still a decision to be made on the status of the 5-9, 205-pound Williams for Sunday as they try to fill out special teams. Since the Bengals have only veteran Giovani Bernard and rookie Brian Hill at running back, Williams has a good shot at making his NFL debut a week after Hill had his first two NFL carries for eight yards.
"It felt good. I was just trying to go straight ahead," said Hill after the Bears game.
Williams signed following the last draft after he was all-everything at his hometown Texas-San Antonio, where he was the school's first 1,000-yard rusher and racked up eight of the club's 16 100-yard games during a productive 43-game career He showed water bug instincts and some power in the preseason when his 150 yards on 41 carries (3.7) led the club and his seven catches for 61 yards were third.
