The Cincinnati Bengals acquired La'el Collins last offseason hoping that he'd be the right tackle they'd been searching for. Collins talked himself up big time when he joined the team but was underwhelming for the most part.
In Week 16, Collins tore his ACL and MCL and missed the rest of the season. The former Dallas Cowboy could be a cut candidate this summer but he provided some good news when speaking to the media on Monday.
Collins being ahead of schedule could mean Bengals fans see him in the lineup earlier than we anticipated. Normally, ACL injuries take eight to nine months to recover from so with Collins' injury happening in December, there could be a chance that he's available as early as Week 1. That'd be huge for this Bengals team needing all the insurance they can get at right tackle.
La'el Collins' recovery is going well.
Speaking of the right tackle situation, Jonah Williams is the penciled-in starter there as of now but he demanded a trade. Collins talked about Williams and the right tackle position as a whole.
Collins has the right attitude heading into what will be his second season in Cincinnati, assuming he's not a cap casualty. He had a "meh" 2022 season but if he's able to contribute in 2023, that's the best-case scenario for both sides.
The Bengals made sure they added help to the o-line again this offseason, signing Orlando Brown Jr. to man left tackle. Right tackle is the only spot that's not shored up but if Collins is healthy, he could absolutely end up being the starter there, especially if Williams ends up with a different team.
Collins has a chance to prove that he can indeed be the bodyguard that he promised he'd be when he signed with the Bengals.