When thinking about the Lou Anarumo-orchestrated defense for the Cincinnati Bengals, it’s a little easy to forget about No. 1 cornerback Chidobe Awuzie.
After all, Awuzie came over from Dallas as a low-risk, high-reward signing in 2021 and quietly had a fantastic season. But last season, he made it into just eight games before injuries derailed his second year in town.
But that’s one of the reasons Awuzie just got some national spotlight courtesy of NFL.com’s Jason McCourty, who just spotlighted Awuzie in his “people to root for” column:
Bengals secondary/cornerbacks coach Charles Burks, whom I played under in my final NFL season in Miami in 2021, told me Awuzie was going to be “the one” in his unit prior to the 2022 season. The veteran cornerback was enjoying a fine campaign last year before a season-ending knee injury sidelined him in Week 8. I’m looking for Awuzie to come back strong this fall for a Cincy team aiming to defend its back-to-back titles in the North.
Given the wealth of notable players and interesting stories on the Bengals roster, it says a lot that Awuzie got the nod here.
Rest assured Bengals fans are rooting hard for Awuzie, as he remains the top cornerback on the depth chart. Not only does he face that pressure, he’s the guy helping bring along long-term prospects like Cam Taylor-Britt and DJ Turner.
Luckily for fans, Awuzie’s latest injury update was a positive one.