On one of the final plays of the 11-on-11 drills on Thursday, defensive lineman Cam Sample appeared to have hurt his lower leg and had to be taken off. Four rookies had already left the session earlier. As temperatures reached 96 degrees, the gauge at the top of Paycor Stadium, which is located across the street from the practice fields, suggested that some of them might be heat-related problems.
The team’s first-round draft selection, offensive tackle Amarius Mims, left practice halfway through with cold towels wrapped around his neck; Jermaine Burton, a third-round pick and wide receiver, left with what appeared to be a left foot injury; and Josh Newton, a fifth-round pick and cornerback, was being stretched out after getting hurt during an 11-on-11 redzone drill.
Unidentified defensive back and undrafted college free agent wide receiver Cole Burgess also had to depart at the same time, though it was unknown why.
Mims was observed throwing up and acting as though the heat was bothering her. After Burton first went to the training table by the side of the fields, where trainer Matt Summers was examining his foot or ankle, he put his cleat back on and made his way back to the stadium on his own initiative.
The Bengals were off on Wednesday despite having just put on their pads for the first time on Tuesday. With improved conditioning, coach Zac Taylor had promised that sessions would get longer and more intense. In 11-on-11, the squad extended drives into more plays.
