Bengals CB Chidobe Awuzie snags interception vs. Ja'Marr Chase during latest practice
It's been a long nine months for Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, but his full return as a starting cornerback looks extremely evident. Slowly but surely, Awuzie has been getting more reps in practice during 11-on-11 work. He made the first one count Wednesday afternoon by intercepting a Jake Browning pass targeting Ja'Marr Chase. The gradual […]
It's been a long nine months for Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, but his full return as a starting cornerback looks extremely evident.
Slowly but surely, Awuzie has been getting more reps in practice during 11-on-11 work. He made the first one count Wednesday afternoon by intercepting a Jake Browning pass targeting Ja'Marr Chase.
The gradual progression from being placed on the PUP list before training camp began, to taking multiple reps in 11-on-11 work has been an elogated process for Awuzie. After having surgery to repair the ACL he tore last Halloween, the veteran cornerback believed he could've played a few months following the operation.
Good thing the Bengals didn't have any games in March.
Since then, it was running, then cutting, and then agility for Awuzie's rehab work. By the time camp rolled around, he was activated off the PUP list just two days after he was placed on it. He would soon be integrated into individual drills and a few seven-on-seven reps here and there. When Awuzie wasn't getting one-on-one reps in practice, he would mirror receivers routes off to the side to continue getting his work in.
He's been for a while now, but there's been no need to rush him back. The Bengals weren't going to play him with the rest of the starters in last weekend's preseason game, and they certainly won't play him in the preseason finale this weekend.
But at this rate, it would be shocking if Awuzie wasn't listed as a full participant in the days leading up to the regular season opener against the Cleveland Browns. His recovery plan has been building up to that, and his latest practice shows it's an inevitability.
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