Head coach Zac Taylor said the Bengals will place Sample (knee) on injured reserve in the next couple of days, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Sample underwent surgery on his right knee following the team's Week 2 loss to the Cowboys. His return timetable is unclear, but it's possible he'll miss the entire campaign after initial tests revealed damage to his MCL and PCL, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. In Sample's absence, Mitchell Wilcox has stepped up as the Bengals' top backup tight end behind Hayden Hurst.