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Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur told reporters Friday that Carter is dealing with a knee injury and that it "doesn't look great," Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com reports.
That's not good news for Carter, who entered training camp looking to earn himself a regular rotational role at defensive tackle behind Roy Lopez and Walter Nolen. Carter will undergo further tests to determine the severity of his injury, and it won't be surprising if he is ruled out for the Cardinals' preseason game against the Raiders on Thursday.
Carter spent time with the both the Bengals and Raiders last season and will now return to Las Vegas. He totaled 22 tackles (10 solo), with 1.5 sacks, in 12 games during the 2024 campaign and could have the opportunity to compete for a starting spot on the defensive line ahead of next season.
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Zachary Carter: Dropped by Cincinnati
Rotowire
The Bengals waived Carter on Friday.
Carter, a 2022 third-round pick out of Florida, had appeared in all four of the Bengals' games this season before being waived. He tallied nine total tackles, including 0.5 sacks, while playing 166 total snaps (147 defensive and 19 on special teams). Carter is now free to sign elsewhere, and he could be picked up as a rotational interior defensive lineman sooner rather than later.
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Bengals' Zachary Carter: First career start
Rotowire
Carter made his first career start Sunday against the Falcons and played 34 snaps (71percent of the Bengals' defensive snaps), recording five tackles.
Carter was the Bengals' third-round pick in 2022 and got the nod with both D.J. Reader and Josh Tupou out with injuries.
The Bengals selected Carter in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 95th overall.
Carter is light for an interior defensive lineman at 282 pounds, but he has experience playing across the front, so he could settle in at end. He had 17.5 sacks in four seasons at Florida and projects as a rotational depth piece for Cincinnati's impressive front.
