CINCINNATI — Bengals running back Giovani Bernard, who hasn’t practiced all week because of hip and collarbone injuries, will miss a game for the first time in his career on Sunday, coach Marvin Lewis said Friday.
Bernard, the Bengals’ leading rusher with 446 yards and a career-high five rushing touchdowns, will be replaced by rookie Jeremy Hill against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
“The rest is going to be good for him,” Lewis said.
Lewis and the Bengals said it was too soon to know if Bernard would be healthy enough to play next Thursday, when the Cleveland Browns visit Paul Brown Stadium.
“We’ll cross those bridges then,” Lewis said.
Hill has 195 yards and three touchdowns on 50 carries this season — including a season-high 15 attempts against the Falcons in Week 2.
Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson told ESPN.com on Thursday that he was confident in Hill’s abilities if Bernard couldn’t play.
“I feel good that if it happened that way, that [Hill] would go in there and do the job,” Jackson said.
The Bengals will also turn to backups Cedric Peerman and Rex Burkhead for production from the running back position.
Bernard, who has been on the receiving end of some vicious hits over the past three weeks, injured his hip during Sunday’s 27-24 win over the Ravens. The collarbone issue dates two weeks prior, when he was slammed hard to the ground by Carolina’s Luke Kuechly at the end of a run.
Bernard, who also hurt his ribs on a blow from Colts cornerback Vontae Davis, played through all of the ailments until leaving last week’s game with the hip problem.
The Bengals will be buoyed by the return of Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Green, who has missed three games with an injury to his big toe on his right foot.
“If everything stays the way it is, he’ll play,” Lewis said.
Green has practiced all week and hasn’t shown any ill effects of the injury. He enters Sunday’s game with 17 catches for 314 yards and two touchdowns this season.
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