Every team makes mistakes. Some are worse than others. ESPN recently listed the biggest mistake for every NFL team since 2020 and for the Bengals that mistake was signing cornerback Trae Waynes to a three-year, $42 million deal in 2020.
Signing Trae Waynes deemed as Bengals' biggest mistake by ESPN
Despite his sizable contract, Waynes played in just five total games for Cincinnati and recorded 12 tackles and one defended pass in a Bengals uniform. He was ultimately released by the Bengals in March of 2022, and hasn't appeared in an NFL game since as he appears to have retired from football.
Here's some of what ESPN had to say about Cincinnati's regrettable decision to sign Waynes to a major deal:
"Waynes endured a disastrous time in Cincinnati. He missed the entire 2020 season after tearing a pectoral muscle during training camp. Upon his return to the lineup in 2021, he suffered a hamstring injury that pushed him back to injured reserve. The Bengals preferred other options by the time he returned, so the player with the largest hit on their 2021 cap didn't play a single defensive snap during their run to the Super Bowl. He was released after the season and appears to have retired."
That's one signing that the Bengals probably wish they could have back, but you live and you learn. Plus, it wasn't even that bad of a mistake in the realm of things, according to ESPN. Not only did the publication list the biggest mistake of every team, it also ranked them from worst (1st) to least egregious (32nd). Cincinnati's decision to sign Waynes ranked 26th.
Bengals fans will be able to get a good laugh in at the moved deemed the worst by ESPN: Cleveland's decision to trade for Deshaun Watson and then sign him to a five-year, $230 million contract in 2022. Watson has won a total of nine games since joining the Browns.
But, that's the way it is sometimes. Moves that appear good on paper or in the boardroom don't always pan out. Nobody said that being a general manager was easy.