The Cincinnati Bengals placed kicker Evan McPherson on injured reserve Wednesday due to a right groin ailment.
McPherson sustained the injury in the first quarter of Cincinnati’s 44-38 loss to the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
The Bengals signed kicker Cade York to the practice squad and plan to elevate him later in the week to handle the duties against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night.
McPherson said he felt a twinge prior to kicking an extra point against Pittsburgh. He remained in a game and later made a 38-yard field goal while going 5-for-5 on PATs.
“I think we were well on our way to being more consistent,” McPherson said. “I think we had a good feeling where we were. As specialists, we went into last Sunday’s game with a couple of keywords. Just to have fun. Go out and have fun playing football with your friends.”
McPherson, 25, has made a career-low 72.7 percent (16 of 22) his field-goal attempts this season. He made more than 82 percent in each of his first three seasons.
McPherson was a perfect 14-for-14 on field-goal tries in the 2021-22 playoffs as a rookie when the Bengals reached the Super Bowl before losing to the Los Angeles Rams. He kicked last-play winners to put the Bengals in the AFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl.
Overall, he has made all 19 of his field-goal attempts during the postseason.
It remains to be seen if McPherson kicks for the Bengals again this season, but he said he would look to learn lessons from his toughest pro campaign.
“It’s been an interesting (season) for sure, but I think it’s going to be a great one to learn from and look back on,” McPherson said. “It’s going to give me a chance to work on my body more and get it stronger.”
The Bengals selected McPherson in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He is 94 of 115 on field goals (81.7 percent) with a long of 59 yards in 61 career regular-season games. He has made 163 of 170 extra points (95.9 percent).
York, 23, played in one game for the Washington Commanders this season and missed both of his field-goal attempts.
In 2022, York made 24 of 32 field goals in 17 games for the Cleveland Browns.
The Browns released him in August 2023 and he spent time with the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants in 2023 without appearing in a game.
Cleveland re-signed York in March and traded him to the Commanders on Aug. 22 for a conditional seventh-round draft pick in 2025. He missed both field-goal attempts and made two extra points in a season-opening loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before he was released on Sept. 9.
