Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle La’el Collins seems like a longshot to be the starter at right tackle in Week 1 as he continues to rehab a serious knee injury he suffered back in December.
The offensive lineman was once a key part of the Dallas Cowboys before the veteran became a cap casualty during the 2022 offseason. He would go on to sign a three-year, $21 million new deal with the Bengals in 2022, but now he seems to be facing the hot seat once again.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox labeled Collins as one of the top NFL players who could potentially get cut heading into training camp.
“The 29-year-old has 86 career starts on his resume, including 15 for Cincinnati last year, but he wasn’t an instant success for the Bengals,” Knox wrote on July 1, 2023. “According to Pro Football Focus, Collins was responsible for eight penalties and five sacks allowed in 2022.
“The other issue is that Collins suffered multiple torn ligaments in his left knee in late December. To guarantee himself a roster spot, Collins will have to show that he’s progressing well enough to see the field early in the season, if not by Week 1.”
Prior to being released by the Cowboys, Collins was on a five-year, $50 million contract with Dallas so you can see just how far his career has tanked.
Collins returned to doing drills back in March, which was several months after tearing his ACL, MCL, and PCL.
The big man was unable to state if he could be ready for the 2023 season opener.
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“I can’t give you a timetable,” Collins said in April. “I’m not the guy that makes the ultimate decision. But at the end of the day, I feel like if I had to play today, I could put a brace on it and I could go to work. I know my knee is locked in and stable. Dr. ElAttrache [I think] is the best in the business. I feel great.”
If Collins can eventually return to the elite form he displayed on the Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati will be able to give quarterback Joe Burrow two consistent bookends to protect him from the elite pass rushers of the league. We’ve already seen what Burrow can do when his offensive line is terrible. Now just imagine if he has an average one.
The ninth-year player out of LSU finished the season 57th out of 64 qualifying players in pass block win rate as a tackle, an ESPN metric powered by NFL Next Gen Stats.
