In an unfortunate turn of events, Cincinnati Bengals' first-round sensation, Amarius Mims, will be sidelined for "several weeks" after sustaining a strained pectoral muscle in their preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The news was announced by Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, who emphasized that it is just a minor setback and expressed optimism about Mims' potential return for the regular-season opener.

Despite the setback, Taylor commended Mims for his impressive performance during training camp, stating that he has tackled every challenge with determination and has displayed the same energetic personality. Mims' composure during Saturday's game was particularly praiseworthy, as he played 15 snaps, 12 of them contributing to the team's opening touchdown drive.

While Mims will be unable to participate in the remaining preseason games, Taylor did not rule out the possibility of the rookie right tackle being available for the Bengals' regular-season opener at Paycor Stadium on September 8. The team will rely on veteran right tackle Trent Brown, who returned to individual drills last week, to take on the primary role in the meantime.

The Bengals' first team, including Brown, will also not be participating in the upcoming preseason game against the Chicago Bears. Instead, Taylor plans to utilize Thursday's joint practice with the Bears to ensure that his players get the necessary work in. The possibility of the Ones playing in the preseason finale against the Indianapolis Colts on August 22 is still being considered.

The joint practice with the Bears holds significance for Taylor, as he and Bears head coach Matt Eberflus have been discussing the matching of personnel groups during drills since May. The two coaches have a connection dating back to 2005 when Taylor was playing at Nebraska and Eberflus served as the defensive coordinator at Missouri.

In other injury news, rookie safety Daijahn Anthony is expected to continue playing despite suffering a nose fracture during Saturday's game. The Bengals' coaching staff has shown confidence in Anthony's ability to contribute despite the injury.

As the Bengals push forward through the preseason, they remain hopeful that Amarius Mims will make a swift recovery and be ready to make his mark on the regular season.