Bengals' Giovani Bernard: Optimistic about status for next season

Bernard (knee) will miss organized team activities this spring and potentially the start of training camp, but there's optimism that he'll be ready for the 2017 season opener, Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com reports.

Analysis:

Bernard was placed on injured reserve after tearing his ACL in Cincinnati's Week 10 game against the Bills in November. Although that resulted in him having surgery and missing the final six games of this season, Bernard was back in the Bengals' weight room last week working on his recovery. Given the timetable of his rehabilitation, Bernard was never expected to be ready to participate in spring workouts, but it's good to hear that a return by the time the 2017 regular season rolls around isn't out of the question. Knowing that, it'll be important to track Bernard's progress over the coming months before shaping expectations of him for next season.