Chidobe Awuzie on His Injury Return Happening in Cleveland: 'It's Only Right'

CINCINNATI — Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie is returning from torn knee ligaments this week in Cleveland for his first game action since...the last time Cincinnati traveled to the banks of Lake Erie.

Awuzie discussed that irony with reporters on Thursday.

"It's only right," Awuzie said about the timeline coming full circle. "I think winning against a team like Cleveland or playing against a team like Cleveland, that's always a difficult task, especially in the AFC North. So all this stuff about Chido, Chido, ACL, this, that, you know, it's bigger than that. So, it's about going on the road and beating this team and putting the first step towards our goals, you know what I'm saying? So, that's really what we're going to be focusing on."

Awuzie suffered the torn right ACL on Halloween last season in what was the Bengals final loss of the regular season before ripping off a double-digit win streak and another AFC Championship game run.

10 months later the Bengals have planned rehab out well enough to get Awuzie ready for Week 1.

"It was a contingent plan, a plan that was contingent on lots of different things throughout the process," Awuzie said about his recovery. "But as I went on, I started to feel better and better and I knew somewhere around camp, I would be good enough to hopefully move against the guys, and it's been about what, three or four weeks now, so I feel like I got my own camp in now, so I'm just excited that I was able to get some reps before the season started."

Cincinnati kicks off the 2023 season on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET against Cleveland.

Chido Awuzie is ready mentally and physically to return to the Bengals this Sunday at the scene of the crime of last year's ACL tear. He opened up genuinely today about how grateful he is to return. pic.twitter.com/vRGNtZwLkL
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) September 7, 2023