Bengals RT Andrews Has Torn Knee Ligaments

CINCINNATI -- Right tackle Stacy Andrews has a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, leaving the Cincinnati Bengals' franchise player with an uncertain future heading into the offseason.

Andrews hurt his knee in the fourth quarter of a 14-0 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday that gave the Bengals (3-11-1) their first back-to-back victories of the season. Coach Marvin Lewis said Monday that tests confirmed the extent of the injury, which will require reconstructive surgery.

"Stacy looks to have a torn the ACL and other ligaments in his knee after the scans came back," Lewis said. "I'm sure he'll concur with his representation on what the best plan of actions are, and then consult with our doctors and go from there."

Tackle Dennis Roland, who was promoted from the practice squad last month, is expected to start the final game against Kansas City on Sunday.

Andrews is the third member of the line to suffer a significant injury, contributing to the Bengals' standing as one of the NFL's worst offenses. Left tackle Levi Jones has been sidelined by various injuries, and left guard Andrew Whitworth is out with an ankle injury.

Last February, the Bengals used their franchise tag on Andrews, a fourth-round draft pick in 2004. They released right tackle Willie Anderson at the end of training camp, after they concluded that Andrews had won the job. Andrews will be a free agent after the season.

The offensive line will be one of Cincinnati's priorities in the draft and free agency. Jones has been hampered by injuries for the last few years, leaving the team uncertain about its starting tackles.

Receiver Chad Ocho Cinco is likely to miss the game against the Chiefs with a pulled hamstring. Ocho Cinco was pessimistic on Monday about being able to play. He sat out the game in Cleveland on Sunday, three days after he suffered the injury in practice.

"I don't know if it's something you want to play with and rush right now," he said.

If so, it's the end of his most disappointing season. After failing to persuade the Bengals to trade him in the offseason, he dislocated his left shoulder in preseason and never got into a flow with an offense that sorely missed quarterback Carson Palmer.

Ocho Cinco has 53 catches for 540 yards and four touchdowns. In addition to missing the game in Cleveland, he was benched for a game in Pittsburgh because of an altercation with a coach. Last season, he had 93 catches for 1,140 yards and eight touchdowns.

Palmer has missed 11 games because of a partially torn ligament and tendon in his passing elbow. Palmer is expected to practice this week, throwing in drills where he won't be exposed to taking an accidental hit. He rested the elbow for two months, hoping it will heal without reconstructive surgery and is testing it a little more each week.

So far, he's gotten good results. A week of practice will give him a better idea of how far the elbow has healed.

"Simulate this week what a normal week would look like, and see if he can handle that without any pain or other issues," Lewis said. "I feel pretty comfortable that the injury will continue to heal on its own, and we're going to continue to let that continue in that way."

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