Family and friends will be in attendance, and his girlfriend, a cheerleader for the Cowboys, will be on the sidelines. He will be trying to help the Bengals snap a three-game losing streak and steps into a spot where the Bengals already were lacking consistency with McPherson struggling before he hurt his groin.
“It’s definitely a blessing,” York said. “Totally God’s timing. It’s been an amazing week. My girlfriend is actually a cheerleader for the Cowboys, and she got baptized this Sunday. So it was awesome going to that, and all of her teammates get to come watch, and then, literally, the next day, get a call that I’m going to work out for the Bengals and they’re playing on Monday. I was like, well, Zoe, I will see you at home no matter what. So yeah, it’s pretty cool.”
York, who was on LSU’s national championship team in 2019 with Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, began the season with the Washington Commanders but was replaced by Austin Seibert after a poor showing in the opening loss to Tampa Bay when he missed two field goals.
The former fourth-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns, in 2022, had been traded to Washington in August, ending his second stint with the Browns after spending 2023 on the practice squads of the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans.
Since he was released by Washington on Sept. 9, York has been trying to catch on with another team but nothing worked out until this week when the Bengals had to place McPherson on injured reserve.
“It is a job where I’m playing, so that’s great, and know some guys here,” York said. “I’ve been around Evan a decent amount, so (I) know him, and good to hang around with him. Been around (long snapper) Cal (Adomitis) and meeting (punter/holder) Ryan (Rehkow) has been cool. So of course, know a couple guys on the team, and been pretty cool to be here. And I played for their rivals, and now I get to go play against them in a couple of weeks, and hopefully a game winner, that’d be great.”
Although York has the unique opportunity to play back home in Dallas this week, he will feel just as home in the AFC North, where he began his NFL career. The Bengals play host to the Browns on Dec. 22 and the season finishes in Pittsburgh.
York said that was probably one reason he stood out above some of the other kickers who also worked out for the Bengals on Tuesday. He missed two kicks during the workout in “crazy windy” conditions, but still felt he hit the ball well.
“I’ve played in this type of condition before, which obviously not this week (in Dallas), but leading up in the next few weeks, it’s going to be back to some cold weather games,” York said. “Hit the ball well and hit it hard. So I don’t know what there’s not to like I guess.”
York had been kicking on his own regularly, working with a trainer and trying to stay on the normal routine he would have been on had he still been on an NFL team. He had faith something would eventually work out as injuries start piling up late in the season and leashes get shorter for struggling kickers.
Joining the Bengals at this stage in the season is a challenge but he’s done it before. It won’t be long before he’s no longer being confused for an equipment manager, he joked. Now he just has to shake off the rust of not having kicked in a live game in 13 weeks.
“I’m sure there’ll be nerves, but there’s always a little bit of nerves,” York said. “That’s pretty normal. If you’re not nervous. It’s kind of weird. But no, I mean, I’ve been kicking the whole time. All up rights are the same, unless they’re high school uprights. So same thing.”
York knows McPherson will be back with the Bengals at some point but looks forward to a chance to prove himself for future opportunities. That starts Monday in between smiles over at Zoe, who already informed him she will be on the visitors sideline the second and fourth quarters and cheering for York, even if she’s in Cowboys attire.
“Of course, you look forward to it, because it’s what I love to do,” York said. “So obviously, I know I’m really good at it, and just gotta show that.”
MONDAY’S GAME
Bengals at Cowboys, 8:15 p.m., ESPN, 700, 1530, 102.7, 104.7
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