Kevin Huber Has Eye on Practice Squad Return After Bengals Make Move At Punter

Simmons also cherishes the embrace he shared with Huber and long snapper Clark Harris when the Bengals won the Wild Card Game back in January at Paycor, the sixth postseason game they had worked together and their first victory. Harris, also in his 14th season, suffered a season-ending injury Opening Day and has been replaced by rookie Cal Adomitis. After Huber beat out Chrisman in training camp, he had a good start to the season before he struggled enough that by the Nov. 13 bye Simmons made the move.

"I understood," Huber said. "They had to do what they had to do. I would have done the same thing."

In what amounted to a three-game tryout with weekly elevations from the practice squad, Chrisman won the job while Huber handled it well. PS players can be elevated only three times before they have to either go on the roster or be waived.

"Good. Good," said Huber when asked how Chrisman is doing. "He couldn't have had two tougher conditions in his first two games," Huber said. "It was cold and windy in Pittsburgh and in Tennessee it was windy and blustery. He only had one punt Sunday in the win over the Chiefs at Paycor, but Chrisman had a good hold on a slightly high inside snap on an extra point.

Huber says he continues to punt in practice, but since Chrisman got the job Chrisman is doing all the holding instead of rotating.

"It's the first time since the Super Bowl Evan has had the same holder and snapper consistently and I think that's good for both of them. Let them get in a rhythm. I certainly don't need any more holds," Huber said. "We were talking about the one (Sunday) and how Drue did a good job getting it back smoothly on the spot."

Huber says he'll think about what he wants to do next season only after this season. He knows he could get a call from the other 31 teams as it gets down to crunch time. You can't beat his experience and his picture is in the textbook under "God Forbid." He is wishing no ill will on the other 31 punters, but he, as much as anyone, knows things happen.

Huber remembers once when there was a guy punting for a team that was going to the playoffs and the punter had his jaw broken late in the season on a questionable hit in Pittsburgh and missed the playoffs while his team went through two punters trying to find one.