Bengals lose pass-rushing depth after Colts swipe Khalid Kareem from practice squad

The Cincinnati Bengals lost a notable piece of the team before Week 12.

Khalid Kareem, a member of the team’s practice squad, ended up getting signed by the Indianapolis Colts.

Kareem, a fifth-round pick in 2020, consistently put up big flashes when actually on the field but had issues staying healthy. The team elected to roster Cam Sample and late-round rookie Jeff Gunter over him after a summer hamstring injury.

It’s a notable blow for the defense’s depth. Kareem even posted an 86.3 PFF grade last year over sparse playing time, though his attendance limited his upside.

Still, if the Bengals suffer injuries this winter and need to call up members of the practice squad, they’ll have to rely on the likes of Raymond Johnson III — or sign someone off another team’s practice squad.

We have signed DE Khalid Kareem from the Bengals practice squad and waived S Trevor Denbow.

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) November 22, 2022