The Bengals have released OT La’el Collins off of the reserve/PUP list.
Collins was placed on the PUP list in August, as he continued his rehab after suffering a torn ACL last season. Though he was set to miss the first 4 games of the season, Collins seemed to be progressing nicely, and figured to be a key depth piece for the OL, making his release a bit of a surprise.
The veteran was signed by the Bengals during the 2022 offseason after his release from the Dallas Cowboys. He had served as the team’s starting RT up until his injury. With Orlando Brown now in as the team’s starting LT, and Jonah Williams over on the right side, Collins would have been relegated to a depth role.
For someone who would have been a depth player, his pricey contract wasn’t ideal. By releasing him, the Bengals save $7.617M in cap space, while accumulating $1.66M in dead money this year and next.
At this point, it is unclear whether the Bengals plan to bring back Collins on a cheaper deal, or sign another veteran. For the time being at least, it is D’Anter Smith who will continue to serve as the swing tackle, with guys like Jackson Carman and Cody Ford also mixing into the depth.
In addition to the Collins move, the Bengals have made another transaction, releasing DT Tautala Pesefea off of IR.
Pesefea is a rookie UDFA who signed with the Bengals following the draft. He played in the preseason, but was then placed on IR before the regular season began. Had the Bengals kept him, he would have been forced to miss the entire season. Instead, he hits the free agent market.
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