Opportunity for Bengals' Chidobe Awuzie opens following Cam Taylor-Britt's trip to IR

Cincinnati placed Taylor-Britt on the Reserve/Injured list for an ankle injury he suffered during practice this past week. He's required to miss the next four games, meaning he's eligible to come back only for the last two weeks of the season. The Bengals could very well be eliminated from playoff contention by then.

The Bengals will turn to Awuzie to fill Taylor-Britt's ball-hawking shoes, just like they had Turner play for him to start the year.

We already got a taste of what this will look like last week. Taylor-Britt missed Week 12's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers due to his quad injury, which led to Awuzie starting and playing a full game for the first time all year along with Turner. Awuzie's 69 snaps played were the most he logged in a game since Week 4, and just the third time he went over 50. 

This didn't seem to be plan entering the year. Awuzie was held out of most of training camp despite being a member of the active roster for the vast majority of that period. The team gave him a proper ramp up towards the regular season, and instead of taking on a full workload, he shared the load with Turner.

Turner receiving those valuable reps has helped both him and the Bengals, but for the 28-year old Awuzie, it undoubtedly has diminished his chances of cashing in one last time on the open market. His future with the Bengals was already in doubt once Turner was drafted as high as he was and started playing up to that status. His best chance of playing time and a pay day were always with another team in 2024 and beyond.

Regaining status as a starter with health on his side will allow him to make a case to attract potential suitors when March comes around.

Awuzie has more than lived up to his three-year contract he signed back in 2021. If there's any consolation to the unfortunate news for Taylor-Britt, it's Awuzie getting the chance to earn another life-changing deal.