Giovani Bernard Reportedly out 2-4 Weeks with Knee Injury

Cincinnati Bengals running back Giovani Bernard will reportedly miss the next two to four weeks with a knee injury diagnosed as an MCL sprain.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported the expected timeline after the running back was officially ruled out for the Bengals' Week 5 matchup against the Miami Dolphins due to a knee injury, per Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Bernard suffered the injury during a Week 4 win vs. the Falcons in which he rushed for 69 yards on 15 carries and two touchdowns while adding four receptions for 27 yards.

Thus far in 2018, Bernard has gained 155 rushing yards on 34 attempts with three touchdowns in addition to 14 receptions for 78 yards.

The good news for Bengals fans is that Week 1 starter Joe Mixon has practiced all week and is on track to play vs. the Dolphins.

After a torn ACL cut his 2016 season short after 10 games, Bernard played all 16 games in 2017, settling into a third-down and rotational role alongside Mixon. The 26-year-old ultimately rushed for 458 yards and two touchdowns, adding 43 receptions for 389 yards and another two scores.

That versatility makes him a valuable part of Cincy's backfield, even if Mixon is clearly the team's featured back at this point. And Bernard was excited about the direction of the team's offense under offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, as he told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com in July:

"I feel like there's a little bit more urgency with everybody. Not just the running game, but really just all throughout the entire offense. There's a lot more urgency with everybody. The guys are playing faster, guys are starting to respond to things a little bit quicker. The pace has definitely picked up.

"As a running back, that's kind of what you want to do. You just want to take everything out of it. Just go out there and play football. You don't want to be thinking about which cut you should make. It's a matter of cleaning things up. Understanding what the offensive line is doing so we can react faster."

With Bernard sidelined, rookie Mark Walton should see his touches increase, while Mixon likely will have to carry an even larger load in the team's backfield.