Cincinnati's record at the time he is cleared to play will factor into the final decision. It's hard to predict many more wins for the Bengals (3-6) with the way they're playing defense. The Bengals again have the league's worst defense, and there haven't been signs it could get better.

Sitting on a Week 10 bye, the Bengals watched the rest of the AFC North get another seismic shift. This time, it was the Pittsburgh Steelers losing yet more ground in the division thanks to a primetime loss on Sunday night. Had the Bengals fielded an even average defense this season, they’d likely be running away with the AFC North.

Here are the winners and losers for the Bengals through the bye week. Following Cincinnati’s Week 5 blowout loss to Detroit, the Bengals had to do something at quarterback after Jake Browning, filling in for the injured Joe Burrow, had a third straight bad performance.

D'Andre Swift, who is coming off a one-touchdown, 45-yard rushing effort in his last game, will lead the Chicago Bears against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9 on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. Swift shows up on the injury list this week (did not participate in practice, groin), but does not have a game status on the latest report.

Stay up to date with the Steelers' Week 7 game vs. the Bengals, including highlights, scoring plays, and breaking news from Thursday Night Football.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) breaks away from a tackle against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, at Soldier Field in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) ORG XMIT: CX176

Here's a look at the Chicago Bears' game-day roster and heading into their Week 9 game vs. Cincinnati Bengals.

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor addresses the media ahead of his team's Week 11 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.