Auden Tate deserved better than the Bengals

Former Cincinnati Bengals’ wide receiver Auden Tate deserves a starting spot in 2022, and he found one in Atlanta.

This week, the Atlanta Falcons signed Tate to a one-year contract, and Tate will likely make an immediate impact as the team’s top wideout weapon. Atlanta recently lost Russell Gage to the Buccaneers and Julio Jones the previous offseason, so they were bound to boost their wide receiver room in some way in 2022.

The Bengals loved Tate as a super-reliable backup receiver, but he ultimately deserved more than just a spot on the bench. Cincy will be sad to see him go.

In four years in Cincy, Tate recorded 799 receiving yards and just two touchdowns, but he enters the Falcons’ wide receiver unit as one of the most experienced in terms of career offensive snaps (1,010). Tate also boasts an impressive PFF career receiving grade (71.2).

Auden Tate was right to leave the Cincinnati Bengals for a starting job elsewhere

At 25-years-old, Tate possesses the size and skill to make contested catches and muscle his way past defensive backs. Last season, Tate appeared in seven games and missed much of the season due to injury. He was cleared for the postseason but the Bengals chose to rely on their consistent trifecta of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd during their historic run to the Super Bowl.

That will likely be the same story in 2022, when quarterback Joe Burrow looks to return to the championship with his same trusty trio since the Bengals’ current receivers are just too good not to start.

Seeing Tate join another team will break Cincy’s heart, but the team knows he deserves his chance at becoming a top wideout for an offense. Just not theirs.

We’d expect Tate to experience a huge increase in production in a fresh start with the Falcons, and we wish him nothing but the best.