Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie activated off PUP list
267 days since tearing his ACL, Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie is back to playing football again.
The Bengals announced Tuesday afternoon that they've cleared Awuzie to practice and removed him from the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list. Awuzie was placed on the PUP list on Sunday along with La'el Collins, Mitchell Wilcox, and Devin Cochran.
Awuzie, a seventh-year player in 2023, has been with the Bengals since joining the team as a free agent back in 2021. He's started and played in 26 total games with the team, and has recorded three interceptions and 20 passes defensed in regular season and playoff games.
In Week 8 of last season, Awuzie went down with a non-contact injury against the Cleveland Browns that ended up being a far too common season-ending injury around the NFL. He would not play again in 2022, and many believed part of his 2023 season would be in jeopardy.
Awuzie's recovery has been nothing short of expeditious. He was running sprints during voluntary workouts and performing lateral movement during rehab sessions at minicamp. By the time minicamp concluded, it was clear Awuzie would return for the start of the regular season, but the fact that he'll be able to practice throughout the entirety of training camp is a testament to how impressive his recovery was.
The Bengals managed to survive on defense without Awuzie last season, but they'll be glad to have their No. 1 cornerback on the field again. He's allowed a passer rating of just 74.91 when targeted in a Bengals uniform, and became one of two players in franchise history to intercept a pass in the Super Bowl two seasons ago.
Awuzie's return also brings the entire Bengals' defense back to full strength as the offseason winds down. That will help tremendously as the unit hopes to sustain its level of play with two new starting safeties in the fold.
Featured image via © Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
