The news on Cincinnati Bengals first-round cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick isn't good. But it certainly could be worse.

Kirkpatrick is expected to miss two to four weeks because of a fractured bone in his leg, a league source told ESPN's Adam Schefter. No surgery will be required for the injury.

The NFL Network reported earlier Wednesday that Kirkpatrick would miss six weeks. That would sideline the 17th overall pick for the start of the regular season.

While Kirkpatrick was expected to challenge for a starting job, the Bengals are fortunate this injury comes at a position of experienced depth. In fact, Kirkpatrick's injury is making the Bengals look smart right now. They signed three former first-round cornerbacks this offseason: Adam Jones, Terence Newman and Jason Allen.

There's still a chance that Leon Hall, who is still recovering from an Achilles injury, could practice soon. The Bengals are hopeful to get him on the field this week. And, based on this current timetable, Kirkpatrick will be able to contribute this season. The injury just pushes him back as far as contributing right away.

A more pressing question for Kirkpatrick is how the Bengals will handle his situation. He was injured leading up to training camp, which means the team doesn't have to pay him for the time he misses. Last year, the Bengals placed linebacker Keith Rivers on the non-football injury list and didn't pay him his salary.

Kirkpatrick confirmed his injury on Twitter last night, saying "I'm sorry about my injury and im going to try my best to get back and help the team to get to a Super Bowl and once again I'm sorry."