Bengals Promote Russ Yeast: Week 7 Impact vs. Ravens

The Cincinnati Bengals added safety Russ Yeast to the 53-man roster Tuesday, converting a player who had already helped them twice as a temporary elevation into a permanent active-roster option before Week 7.

Cincinnati also signed tight end Josh Kattus and linebacker Emany Johnson to the practice squad and released safety Isaiah Nwokobia from the practice squad. The moves give the Bengals another experienced defensive back for Sunday’s AFC North trip to Baltimore while restoring developmental depth at two other positions.

What the Bengals changed

The Bengals’ official transaction announcement says Yeast was signed directly from the practice squad to the active roster. He had been elevated for two games earlier this season and recorded three tackles.

That distinction matters. A standard game-day elevation allows a practice-squad player to dress for one game and then automatically revert. Tuesday’s transaction places Yeast on the active roster beyond a single Sunday and makes him available without another temporary elevation.

Cincinnati used that temporary mechanism in Week 5 at Miami. The team’s October 10 announcement explicitly classified Yeast’s move as a standard elevation that would expire after the game. His new transaction is the more durable roster commitment.

What Yeast can add against Baltimore

Yeast gives Cincinnati experienced safety depth and special-teams flexibility, but the promotion does not automatically make him a defensive starter. His three tackles across two elevations show that he has been part of the game-day plan; the first Week 7 injury report and inactive list will provide better evidence of how large his role may become.

The timing is useful against Baltimore. In the Bengals’ official Week 7 scouting report, the Ravens enter at 4-2 while averaging 26 points and 367.7 yards per game. Derrick Henry leads the NFL with 130 carries, is fourth with 534 rushing yards and is tied for the league lead with seven rushing touchdowns.

A reserve safety can matter against that profile even without playing every defensive snap. Cincinnati may need extra support in run fits, coverage against play action and special-teams assignments. Yeast’s active-roster status gives the coaching staff one more option, particularly if injuries affect the normal secondary rotation.

Baltimore’s quarterback situation remains a major variable. Lamar Jackson has missed two games with an ankle injury and was described as day to day entering the week. Tyler Huntley has gone 1-1 in his absence. Yeast’s role could look different against Jackson’s designed-run threat than it would against Huntley’s less vertical version of the offense.

Josh Kattus and Emany Johnson join the practice squad

Kattus is a 6-foot-4, 247-pound rookie tight end from Kentucky who originally signed with Cincinnati as an undrafted free agent in May. He spent the offseason and training camp with the Bengals before being waived August 30. His return restores a familiar developmental player to the tight end room.

Johnson is a 6-foot-2, 216-pound linebacker from Nevada. He entered the league with Dallas in 2024, then spent time on the Cowboys and Chargers practice squads before spending the entire 2025 season on Los Angeles’ practice squad. Neither practice-squad addition should be treated as an immediate offensive or IDP role.

Fantasy and IDP impact

• Russ Yeast: Watch the Week 7 snap count before considering him in deep IDP formats. Three tackles in two appearances is not enough volume for a standard-league add.

• Bengals D/ST: The promotion adds depth, but it does not by itself change the unit’s fantasy tier against Baltimore. Lamar Jackson’s availability and Derrick Henry’s workload are much larger variables.

• Josh Kattus: Practice-squad depth only. He has no redraft value unless Cincinnati later promotes him and injuries create a defined receiving role.

• Emany Johnson: A developmental linebacker addition without an established defensive workload.

Week 7 game information

Cincinnati visits Baltimore on Sunday, October 25, at 1 p.m. ET on CBS. The official Bengals schedule lists M&T Bank Stadium as the venue. Cincinnati is returning from its Week 6 bye, while Baltimore is trying to rebound from a 13-10 loss to Cleveland.

For broader matchup context, Football Nation’s Bengals-Ravens player-props guide tracks workload questions, and the AFC North standings update explains the division stakes entering Week 7.

What to watch next

The important checkpoints are Cincinnati’s first injury report, Yeast’s special-teams and defensive usage at practice, Baltimore’s quarterback participation and the final inactive list. If Yeast dresses but remains primarily a special-teams player, the transaction is best understood as roster stability. If he enters the safety rotation, his run-defense and coverage assignments become a more meaningful part of the Bengals’ plan.

Bottom line

Cincinnati’s promotion of Russ Yeast is a practical Week 7 depth move with more permanence than his two earlier elevations. It gives the Bengals another trusted defensive back before facing Derrick Henry and a potentially returning Lamar Jackson, but fantasy managers should wait for real snap evidence before assigning Yeast individual IDP value.