Cincinnati Bengals Right Tackle Done for the Season

The Cincinnati Bengals will be without their starting right tackle for the remainder of the season. According to the Enquirer's Kelsey Conway, an MRI has confirmed that offensive lineman La'el Collins tore his ACL and MCL in the Bengals' Week 16 22-18 win over the New England Patriots.

After passing the initial ACL on field exam yesterday, #Bengals starting RT La'el Collins underwent an MRI today and it revealed he tore his ACL and MCL.

His season is over, recovery is expected to be 7 months, a source tells me. @Enquirer
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) December 25, 2022

Initial onfield tests suggested Collins had avoided catastrophe, but more thorough evaluations revealed the extent of the injury. The veteran tackle had started 15 games for the Bengals this season.

Collins has been a big part of a Bengals offensive line that has allowed quarterback Joe Burrow and the passing attack to flourish in recent weeks. After a 2-3 start to the season in which he absorbed 18 sacks, Burrow has exploded for 2944 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and seven interceptions over his last 10 starts. The Bengals have gone 9-1 over that span, and Burrow has only been sacked 21 times. The gelling of the offensive line has been a crucial component of the team's success, and Collins's absence could hamper them going forward.

Collins joined the Bengals via free agency earlier this year on a three-year, $21 million deal. He initially entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Cowboys in 2015. He started 71 games for the team from 2015 to 2021.