Bengals beat writers Jim Owczarski and Paul Dehner Jr. look ahead to the team's Week 15 game at the Minnesota Vikings. Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer
CINCINNATI - The Cincinnati Bengals placed backup center T.J. Johnson on injured Rreserve and signed running back Jarveon Williams from the practice squad.
The move ends Johnson's fourth year with the team after being drafted in the seventh-round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Johnson went to college at the University of South Carolina.
Johnson started four games this season at right guard in relief of starter Trey Hopkins, who was dealing with a knee injury sustained in the season opener.
Johnson remains under contract for 2018 and is due to earn $1.8 million in the final year of his two-year extension signed after last season.
The Bengals' future at the center position remains unclear with starter Russell Bodine scheduled to reach free agency after this season.
Williams becomes a member of the active roster for the first time in his NFL career after spending the first 13 games on the practice squad.
Williams, an undrafted rookie out of the University of Texas at San Antonio, finished his college career as the all-time leading rusher for UTSA — which did not have a college football program until 2011 — and had 900 yards and eight touchdowns in his senior year, which led UTSA to its first-ever bowl game invitation.
Enquirer media partner Fox 19 provided this report.