For the record, it was Dec. 26, 2014, which was nearly a month after he suffered a right knee injury while making a catch at Tampa Bay on Nov. 30. Wright wouldn’t play again in 2014 or in 2015 after having microfracture surgery.
“It was something I wasn’t used to,” he said. “I never had to miss a whole season. I had to get used to it. But knowing I would be able to get back out there eventually definitely drove me through my rehab. I’m just glad today finally came. It felt like forever.”
With wide receiver Marvin Jones and tight end Tyler Eifert lost to season-ending injuries in 2014, Wright was just beginning to emerge during his rookie season. He had three catches for 59 yards in that game at Tampa Bay. All three receptions resulted in first downs, two of which were down third-conversions, including one that extended the touchdown drive that gave the Bengals the lead for good in a 14-13 win.
The play when the injury occurred was a leaping 30-yard catch along the sideline.
“I felt like things were kind of clicking,” he said. “That was a good game besides the injury that caused me to be out.”
Wright’s return thrusts him into the mix of a wide-open completion at receiver.
Dennard dinged: Cornerback Darqueze Dennard was back at practice after missing Sunday's session to attend the funeral of former Michigan State teammate and good friend Mike Sadler, who died in a car accident July 23.
He left early with an ankle injury, but defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said it was precautionary. Monday marked Dennard’s first practice with contact since he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury Nov. 22 at Arizona.
Dennard said it was difficult to ask for a day off during training camp, but he knew he had to be at Spartan Stadium for the celebration, where he was one of Sadler’s former teammates who spoke.
“At the end of the day, this is my job and I’m trying to compete for a starting job, so it was definitely tough to ask,” he said. “But Mike meant a lot to me, his family meant a lot to me. His mom called me last weekend and we talked throughout the week and I was telling her I was going to try to come. Coach Lewis gave me the nod, so I was able to go see her.”
Play of the day: Josh Shaw intercepted an Andy Dalton pass intended for Tyler Boyd, who slipped on the route. Drafted as a fifth-round cornerback out of USC in 2015, Shaw started playing safety during the spring and has impressed the coaches with how quickly he has adjusted.
Roll call
Linebacker Karlos Dansby watched practice in street clothes with an apparent vet day, while linebacker Trevor Roach (undisclosed) missed his second consecutive practice. Wide receiver Jake Kumerow (hamstring) and tight end Matt Lengel (undisclosed) also sat out.
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