NFL Rumors: Bengals Offensive Tackle Could Miss Week 3

If the Cincinnati Bengals are going to dig their way out of their 0-2 hole, they'll need to play better along the offensive line. That'll be easier said than done. Starting right tackle La'el Cousins has missed consecutive practices this week and is in danger of missing Week 3 with a back injury:

Bengals OT La’el Collins is absent at the beginning of practice. Was out yesterday with a back injury.
— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) September 22, 2022

Collins came to the Bengals this offseason as their signature free agent acquisition on the offensive line, signing a three-year, $30 million pact. Collins had been a key piece in the trenches for the Cowboys since 2015; his offenses finished top five in yards gained three times under his tenure. The Bengals hoped Collins, along with fellow offensive line additions Alex Cappa and Ted Karras, could stabilize a pass-blocking unit that allowed quarterback Joe Burrow to be sacked a league-high 51 times last season.

Things haven't gone according to plan. Burrow has been sacked an egregious 13 times for the Bengals this season, the most in his career over any two-game period. If the Bengals expect to claw their way back to contention in the AFC, they can't afford to take yet another step back along the offensive line. They'll need Collins back in the lineup as soon as possible.