The Cincinnati Bengals (7-6) will be without starting right tackle Riley Reiff in Denver as the veteran offensive lineman was placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury. Two days following the recent COVID-19 surge in the NFL, the Bengals placed top cornerback Chidobe Awuzie on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Thursday.
In order for Awuzie to be able to play on Sunday based off the NFL protocols, if he's vaccinated and asymptomatic, would have to test negative twice within 24 hours.
Awuzie being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list late in the week makes things complicated as the Bengals travel to Denver on Saturday. He would have to test negative on Friday and Saturday before the team left to be cleared to be around the team again.
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Not having two starters at key positions is a significant loss for the Bengals as they are in the midst of a playoff push with four games to go. However, if Cincinnati is without Awuzie and Reiff, the Bengals have depth at their respective positions.
Tackle Isaiah Prince will likely start in place of Reiff which won't be new for the Bengals as Prince has started for Reiff in Week 13. He has continuity with the rest of Cincinnati's starting offensive line which will be important playing on the road in what is expected to be a loud environment.
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By placing Reiff on injured reserve, he'll miss the next three games for the Bengals at the earliest.
"He’s done good things," offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said of Prince's play this year. "For a guy that’s coming in off the bench as a swing tackle, he’s done a good job."
If Awuzie can't go, the Bengals will likely rely on Trae Waynes to enter the starting lineup. Waynes was originally supposed to play opposite of Awuzie to start the season as the Bengals' No. 2 cornerback but suffered a hamstring injury that landed him on injured reserve for majority of the season.
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Waynes has been back at practice over the last two weeks but the team has yet to activate him to the 53-man roster. That's likely to change regardless of Awuzie's status moving forward.
The Bengals take on the Broncos on Dec.19 at 4:05 p.m. ET.
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