When the Cincinnati Bengals moved some players to injury lists before training camp started, the only — and biggest — surprise was La’el Collins’ name popping up.
Now we know why. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor told reporters on Monday that Collins is dealing with a back issue, according to ESPN’s Ben Baby.
Taylor said that like with Alex Cappa, the coaches will just have to manage each veteran’s summer workload to make sure they’re ready for the start of the season.
Overall, it doesn’t sound like a major issue with Collins, but it’s worth pointing out he missed all of the 2020 season due to injury and a handful of games last year.
Collins going to the NFI list could be a precautionary issue more than anything, as the team can take him off the list whenever. But it’s worth noting now, as the new-look offensive line getting reps together could impact performance during the season, especially for Collins, who is anticipated to be a massive upgrade at right tackle.