In the NFL, injury to one player typically equates to added on-field opportunity for another player, and that’s going to be the case for the Cincinnati Bengals.
A torn patellar tendon against the Washington Commanders on Monday night forced Bengals starting offensive lineman Trent Brown to miss the whole season. Although Brown’s loss is devastating to the organisation, it will provide rookie tackle Amarius Mims with more opportunity to prove himself. The Georgia product made his professional debut against Washington on Monday night after missing the Bengals’ opening two games of the season due to a pectoral injury he sustained during preseason play.
In the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Bengals selected Mims (18th overall), hoping that he would eventually establish himself as a mainstay on the offensive line for the team. Though he only started eight games during his undergraduate career, Mims’ lack of experience was the biggest criticism levelled at him after graduation. Because of this, several were surprised that the Bengals selected him despite his extraordinary talent. It seems sense that the Bengals would have preferred to take their time with him, allowing him to gain some experience and feel the waters while playing behind a seasoned veteran like Brown. But after Brown’s injury, that plan is now nullified.
Rather, Mims will essentially be thrust into the fire as a starter from the beginning, giving the squad a great chance to evaluate what, if anything, he’s made of. Though it’s not always the best scenario, for a young player, real-world in-game experience is usually the greatest method to learn, so perhaps this will enable Mims to advance swiftly and reach the limits of his abilities.
Bengals centre Ted Karras stated, “Amarius Mims is the next guy up and nobody’s better for the job.” “He’s the guy we draughted to play right tackle and I’m excited to see what he can show with a full week’s prep.” The odds are stacked against the Bengals winning it all and making the playoffs after a 0–3 start. After all, since 1990, 160 teams have begun a season with a record of 0–3, and only four of those teams have advanced to the postseason. They’ll need their most recent top choice to play well if they are to overcome the odds and make the playoffs for the second consecutive year.
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