The Cincinnati Bengals are limping toward Week 16, and the injury report is starting to feel like a roster sheet. After a more physical Thursday practice, there was little relief on the health front heading into Sunday’s matchup with the Quinn Ewers–led Miami Dolphins.

Four players did not practice at all: B.J. Hill, Kris Jenkins, Charlie Jones, and Joseph Ossai, all with ankle injuries.

That’s significant rotational and special-teams firepower stuck on the sideline. Tee Higgins remains in concussion protocol and could need a clean exit and a full practice on Friday just to have a realistic shot to play. Tight end Noah Fant was limited with an ankle issue.

There was also some good news.

Joe Burrow (knee) was once again listed as a full participant, along with Dylan Fairchild, PJ Jules, Drew Sample, Amarius Mims, Samaje Perine, Shemar Stewart, and DJ Turner II. But at this point in the season, “full” on the injury report doesn’t always mean close to 100 percent on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Zac Taylor is trying to quiet the growing noise around his job security after reports of a contract extension running through 2027. He brushed it off, insisting the deal “doesn’t matter” and that he coaches “every day like it’s his last.”

That’s a noble sentiment, but it doesn’t change the reality that three straight years without a playoff appearance is a problem for a roster built around a franchise quarterback.

Taylor insists the Bengals have the right people and the right setups and that they’ve proven it before and will again. Maybe. But as the injuries pile up and the losses mount, that confidence is starting to sound more like hope than evidence.

Vegas might have moved Cincinnati to a betting favorite in Miami, but given the health issues and recent history, Bengals fans are right to be a lot less certain.