Eventually, Our CB Player Accepted Signing An Extended Contract.

Chidobe Awuzie, a cornerback with the Bengals, is in the last year of a three-year, $21.75 million contract that he signed in March 2021. Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports that Awuzie is not likely to return to Cincinnati in 2024.

Awuzie still sees himself as a starting corner, according to Dehner’s extensive essay, which chronicles his career from early success with the Bengals through his rehabilitation from his 2022 ACL tear and last week’s problems in a defeat to the Steelers. However, Cincinnati will want to proceed with Cam Taylor-Britt and DJ Turner as its starting cornerbacks on the boundary. This implies that Awuzie will be transferring unless he is unable to secure a starting contract on the open market.

Naturally, there’s a significant risk Awuzie’s market won’t grow the way he wants it to. He had a great start to the 2022 season, building on a fantastic 2021, but his career was wrecked by an ACL tear in Week 8 of that season. Awuzie and rookie Turner were part of the Bengals’ rotation to begin the current campaign, and because of that and a back ailment sustained early in the season, he struggled to establish a rhythm. He also acknowledged that, although being a crucial component of his game, he had not yet regained his speed.

It seemed like he was getting back into shape between Weeks 11 and 15. Owing to Taylor-Britt’s injury, Awuzie resumed a full-time position and produced a respectable 73.6 passer rating in that capacity. That run of impressive performances was somewhat offset by his struggles against wide receiver George Pickens in the Week 16 loss to Pittsburgh.

As such, Awuzie’s next home and the terms of his next deal will be largely determined by the Bengals’ performance in the final two regular season games and any postseason games, should they qualify. If he performs well, interested teams may easily use his impressive Cincinnati debut and the fact that he showed promise in his first season back after an ACL tear to secure a high-paying multiyear contract. In the event that he struggles, he might have to accept a one-year contract that serves as a proof of concept, which might perhaps raise the likelihood of a Bengals re-up.