Two Starting Offensive Linemen Miss Practice for Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals have gotten off to a rough 2-3 start following their AFC Conference championship-winning season, and their offensive line is partly to blame. Things might not be getting better any time soon. Starting tackles Jonah Williams and La'el Collins were both unavailable for the team's Wednesday practice.

Bengals OT Jonah Williams and OL La’el Collins not in uniform for practice.
— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) October 12, 2022

Williams sprained his MCL in the Bengals' Week 5 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. He exited late in the fourth quarter and missed the offense's final six snaps. Bengals' head coach Zach Taylor described him as day-to-day.

Collins has yet to miss a regular season snap so far this year, but he may have aggravated a lingering back issue that has limited him in practice for weeks.

The two tackles have both disappointed through five games. Williams sports a 58.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus after a strong 77.1 mark last year, and Collins' 53.2 overall grade is way down from 2021's 82.0 mark.

Zac Taylor said he thinks the #Bengals offensive line continues to improve and believes the unit has given the team everything they need to operate effectively on offense
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) October 12, 2022

Williams and Collins both present arguably the Bengals' two biggest investments on the team's much-maligned offensive line. Williams joined the team as their 11th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, and Collins arrived in 2021 on a three-year deal after a successful six-year stint with the Dallas Cowboys.

The Bengals allowed quarterback Joe Burrow to be sacked a league-high 70 times last year between regular season and postseason play. The team invested heavily in the offensive line this offseason to avoid a similar disaster, but they haven't garnered the results they hoped for. Burrow has been sacked 18 times and the team ranks 22nd in yards gained through five weeks.