4 things we learned from Bengals’ Week 18 loss to Browns

Mike Daniels looks capable of contributing

Veteran defensive tackle Mike Daniels has become a forgotten entity on the Bengals’ roster recently, as he has spent most of the year on the practice squad.

At one time a top defensive lineman in the NFL, Daniels appeared to be winding down to the end of his career and an early retirement. However, with an impressive performance on Sunday, Daniels showed he can still hang around and contribute in the NFL.

Daniels ended the game with five tackles but was frequently disrupting plays at or behind the line of scrimmage. This could be in part due to Daniels having fresh legs compared to other players who have just played through a long season, but the veteran tackle looked incredibly disruptive at times.

This performance from Daniels should get the attention of Lou Anarumo and the Bengals’ coaching staff. While he currently does not have a spot on the roster, this showing should earn him some consideration to be called up to play in the playoffs. If Daniels can even have one disruptive play a game in the playoffs, it could prove crucial down the stretch.

When Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic speculated that Daniels could be playing in his last career game, the 32-year old defensive tackle shut it down quickly.

Even if he doesn’t get called up to play in the playoffs, Daniels’ career is clearly far from over.