The Cincinnati Bengals defense will go without Cam Sample in 2024 after the team announced he suffered a torn Achilles during training camp practice.

Sample, who hovered between 30-40 percent of the defensive snaps played over his first three seasons, had grown into a key contributor in the rotation, especially as a run defender.

With a key component of the rotation gone, here are a few guys who will need to step up.

Myles Murphy: Big expectations already chased the former first-round pick into 2024. Now, there's even more pressure as the team seeks to keep Trey Henrickson and Sam Hubbard fresh for an entire season. He started to come on as a pass-rusher late in the season as a rookie, but he'll have to hold up well in the running game, too.

Joseph Ossai: The promising pass-rusher disappeared last year, hardly seeing the field while working through some things. He's been incredibly effective as a pressure creator when playing, but can he be more robust and eat snaps?

Jeff Gunter: The seventh-round success story appeared in double-digit games as a rookie before spending most of last year on the practice squad. Can a fan-hopeful third-year leap propel him back onto the 53 as an all-around player who can join the rotation?

This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Myles Murphy and Bengals who must step up after Cam Sample's injury