Bengals reward one of their newest players after doing dirty work in his debut game
Cincinnati promotes a practice squad player to the active roster.
Clearing Joe Burrow to practice wasn’t the only roster move the Cincinnati Bengals made to start the week. The Bengals also signed linebacker Brian Asamoah II off the practice squad to the active roster.
Asamoah originally signed to Cincinnati’s practice squad on Oct. 30, just a few days leading up the team’s Week 9 loss to the Chicago Bears. He was elevated from the practice squad to the active roster for the game and ended up playing 18 snaps on special teams.
One rep in particular very well could’ve had an impact in Asamoah sticking on the 53-man roster for good.
Brian Asamoah II’s special teams moment pays off
The very first play of Asamoah’s Bengals career was the opening kickoff return of the game. Charlie Jones fielded the kick at the two-yard line and sprinted 98 yards for the touchdown, his second of his career, and hardly had to change direction to do it.
Jones can thank the blocking in front of him for making it as simple as it looked, and Asamoah was indeed a big factor in that.
Asamoah teamed up with fellow LB Joe Giles-Harris to block Bears defensive end Daniel Hardy out of the play, clearing up space for Jones to accelerate down the left sideline where he only had to outrun Chicago kicker Cairo Santos and then safety Jonathan Owens.
Asamoah fills the roster spot Logan Wilson leaves behind after being traded to the Dallas Cowboys. He will not see very much playing time on defense, and he may not ever take the field with that unit, but it doesn’t matter. He’s not on the roster to play next to Barrett Carter, Demetrius Knight Jr., or Oren Burks. A player like him doesn’t showcase value with sacks, interceptions, or filling run fits.
Special teams is the path to sticking around, and Asamoah made a killer first impression doing the forgotten work of a reserve.
Asamoah is now the fifth backer on the roster and when he’s active on game days, he’ll be tasked with meeting the standard he set for himself. It’s how he earned an actual NFL contract instead of a practice squad contract.
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