When pundits talked about the Cincinnati Bengals prior to the start of this season, the conversation usually started and ended with quarterback Joe Burrow and his cast of weapons in wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd and running back Joe Mixon.
Those five players were perceived as the stars of the Bengals’ offense. And they’ve all had their moments through seven games as Cincinnati currently holds a 5-2 record on the year.
But there’s one player who will be added to that group of players who are stealing the show on offense and its tight end C.J. Uzomah.
The Bengals drafted Uzomah in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Uzomah and Boyd are two of the oldest players on Cincinnati’s roster and both have now played for former head coach Marvin Lewis and current head coach Zac Taylor.
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The last few years have probably been hard on Uzomah as his team went through a complete roster rebuild and won sparingly. Now, he’s reinventing his career with Burrow as his quarterback and Taylor as his play-caller.
“He’s found his spot,” Taylor said of Uzomah. “Joe [Burrow] has a lot of confidence in him, and he always makes plays when his number is called.”
Uzomah already has a career-high five touchdowns with 10 games to play. He’s on pace to record more receiving yards and catches than any season before and he’s 28 years old.
For those who are surprised at Uzomah’s production, his quarterback is not. When Burrow was asked what’s behind his connection with Uzomah this year, he said it started in his rookie season but because of his knee injury no one saw what they could do together.
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“That connection really started last year,” Burrow said. “ I think he was our top target through two weeks last year, and you know, unfortunately, went down with a knee injury early but we really clicked from the beginning with each other.”
C.J. Uzomah just makes game-winning plays for the Bengals
Uzomah has provided game-winning plays for the Bengals on multiple occasions starting in Week 1 against the Vikings. He’s continued to reap the benefits of the attention his wide receivers are getting on the outside and is taking advantage of his opportunities.
His 6-foot-6, 260-pound frame is striking on the field, especially over the middle. He’s able to put himself in positions that others simply can’t do because of his physical skillset. Through seven games, Uzomah has caught 17 passes on 19 targets for 256 yards.
The former Auburn Tiger is also a leader and one of the main personalities in Cincinnati’s locker room. As one of the oldest and most experienced players, he’ll play a significant role in helping the Bengals learn how to consistently win in the NFL.
Uzomah isn’t the player he’s been in years past and this is a new Bengals team. In his eyes, there’s no time to look back. He’s focused on what’s in front of him and that could be an even bigger role moving forward with the season Chase is having. Chase ranks No. 2 in the NFL in receiving yards with 754 and defensive coordinators will now be game planning specifically to take Chase away.
If it happens and Uzomah ends up continuing to be the open player, the Bengals will be in good hands.
“I think we need to get the train rolling,” Uzomah said. “We are trying to establish who we are as a team and put the league on notice that this isn’t the Bengals of the past. This is the 2021 Bengals, and the past is the past.”
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