Jaxson Kirkland Has NFL Debut Season Cut Short by Injury

The former Husky offensive lineman appeared in two games for Cincinnati.

Former Huskies offensive lineman Jaxson Kirkland (60) suffered a season-ending biceps injury for the Cincinnati Bengals. / Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Jaxson Kirkland made it onto an NFL roster, played in two games and he's done, at least for this season.

On Monday, Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor revealed the former University of Washington offensive lineman tore a biceps muscle in his team's 41-38 loss to the Baltimore Ravens and has been lost for the rest of the schedule.

The NFL continues to test the 6-foot-7, 325-pound Kirkland, a second-year pro who was a three-time All-Pac-12 selection while at the UW.

Last year, he wasn't drafted largely because he was still recovering from an ankle injury that required surgery prior to his sixth and final season in Montlake. After getting released in his first training camp, he spent 2023 on the Bengals' practice squad, but suffered a wrist injury that cut his time short there.

However,, Kirkland came back this past summer and earned a spot on Cincinnati's 53-player roster after demonstrating his ability to play four of the five positions up front during training camp, providing roster versatility.

After suiting up but not playing in the Bengals' first three games, he made his NFL debut in the Bengals' fourth outing, a 34-24 victory over the Carolina Panthers on the road, and followed up with more game time against the Ravens before getting hurt.

Overall, Kirkland has logged 13 snaps for Cincinnati, 10 as a special-teams player and three on offense.

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