Cincinnati Bengals right tackle La’el Collins appeared to suffer a significant injury against the New England Patriots.
But according to the first report on the topic before the game even went final, Collins might be better off than things appeared.
According to the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway, Collins actually passed the initial ACL test, meaning it’s intact.
That means Collins will of course undergo MRI and further testing in the coming days, but it appears the worst-case scenario is off the table. Frankly, that’s incredible if this news holds given even Patriots players were waving for help after the injury and he needed a cart to leave the sideline.
With Collins out, Hakeem Adeniji steps in as the starter. Depending on the severity and return timetable though, there’s potentially a chance Collins could return for a playoff game — a dramatic swing in the outlook compared to when it initially happened.