Sadly, C.J. Uzomah won’t be returning to the Cincinnati Bengals, as the former fifth-round pick signed a three-year deal with the Jets worth $24 million. That’s a lot of money for a guy who never had more than 500 yards in a season but Bengals fans are still bummed to see him leave.
With Uzomah off to New Jersey for the next chapter of his playing career, one thing is for sure now — The Bengals have to make the tight end position a priority.
Uzomah as the starting tight end in 2022 and beyond was probably the Bengals’ best-case scenario but unfortunately, that won’t be the case now. They still have time to address the position though and they have no choice but to turn to other options now.
Former Bengals TE C.J. Uzomah intends to sign a three-year, $24 million deal with the New York Jets, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2022
Cincinnati Bengals need to commit to finding their tight end of the future
While Drew Sample is still on the roster for at least one more year, he’s proven he isn’t the answer. Thaddeus Moss was a popular name amongst the fans this past season but he never found his way onto the field. Those are the two in-house names that could be options moving forward but they shouldn’t be the plan.
There are still some okay names available in free agency but at the price tight ends are currently going for, Cincinnati might be better off turning their attention to the draft to find their next tight end. Those of you who have been reading my draft posts know that I’m big on Trey McBride of Colorado State and Isaiah Likely of Coastal Carolina, both of whom would probably be available in the second round.
Whether the stripes go after either of those draft prospects or someone like Gerald Everett, they have to address the tight end position because C.J. Uzomah is no longer an option for them.
Who do you want to see the Cincinnati Bengals bring in at tight end?