The Cincinnati Bengals averted a Christmas miracle by preventing the New England Patriots’ comeback in the second half, but they couldn’t score one with their starting right.
According to Cincinnati.com’s Kelsey Conway, an MRI of La’el Collins revealed that he actually tore his ACL and MCL against New England.
After passing the initial ACL at the field exam yesterday, #Bengal Starting with RT La’el Collins underwent an MRI today and it was shown that he has torn his ACL and MCL.
His season is over, recovery is expected to take 7 months, a source told me. @questioner
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) December 25, 2022
The injury looked very evident in real time when Collins’ left knee was curled up late in the first quarter. He was able to leave the field under his own power and was then wheeled into the changing room on the field after passing the ACL test. After the game, Collins told reporters he dislocated his kneecap and put it back in its place, That’s what happened to Jonah Williams earlier this year.
But nothing is certain until the MRI, and it confirmed the worst news for Collins and the Bengals.
ACL recovery has been reduced to around nine months for most, so a seven-month timeline is very optimistic for Collins. That might mean the damage isn’t as bad as most, but so many other variables will go into his recovery.
For now, the Bengals will continue with Hakeem Adeniji as right tackle and D’Ante Smith as new swing tackle…unless Andrew Whitworth wants to reverse his retirement?
In a recent appearance on the Pardon My Take podcast, Whitworth expressed a desire to return and overtake Jeff Saturday as the most successful offensive lineman in NFL history.
Whitworth, who retired after beating the Bengals in the Super Bowl last year, last played for Cincinnati in 2016 after 11 years at the club. His departure from the organization is now well documented, but if the Bengals dropped a bag to get him back, would he turn down another run at a championship?
That’s more hope than anything, of course, but crazier things have happened.