Bengals Suffer Blow to Secondary, Lose Trae Waynes to Torn Pec
In what seems to be a cursed yearly ritual for the Cincinnati Bengals, they lose a major player they are counting on to hold their team together to a major injury before they even play a game. Last year, it was rookie Jonah Williams, the team's left tackle and this year, it's free agent corner Trae Waynes, suffering a torn pec per Tom Pelissaro and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
The Bengals rebuilt their secondary this offseason, signing Waynes to a three-year, $42 million contract. They also signed Mackenzie Alexander to play the team's slot for $4 million. William Jackson III is their one holdover from last year, holding down the other boundary corner spot.
This might force Alexander to play outside when the Bengals only have two corners on the field, but their depth is pretty thin. Darius Phillips is the most proven option, so he will likely step up and play in Waynes' absence, but after him, it's unproven options like Greg Mabin, Torry McTyer, LeShaun Sims and Brandon Wilson.
The Bengals will have to be on the look out for options via free agency and perhaps trade. The Cleveland Browns may end up releasing a corner that might be attractive to the Bengals when they cut down to their 53-man roster.
Last year, the Bengals offense looked promising if everyone could stay healthy. It didn't happen and it fell apart due to injuries to Williams and A.J. Green. This year, the Bengals defense looked pretty promising on paper with an impressive defensive line, but they needed a lot to go right at linebacker and the secondary. That's already an issue with the injury to Waynes.
It's possible he could be back later in the year, but much will depend on how the Bengals play this season. If they are able to stay in the thick of the standings and be in a position where bringing back Waynes could be a big boost, they might go that route. However, they are counting on big things from a rookie quarterback in Joe Burrow and a defense that looked like it could help keep games close is now wounded. They may be in for another long, learning season.
The Browns are scheduled to play the Bengals on Thursday Night Football on September 17th, which would be the second week of the season.
