The Cincinnati Bengals have been fortunate to have solid play from their secondary the last several years with players who were instrumental to their deep playoff runs in 2021 and 2022. One of those players is Chidobe Awuzie who was great in his first season in stripes and helped push the orange and black to Super Bowl LVI. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL in 2022 against the Cleveland Browns and struggled to recover the following season. Awuzie is only 28 years old, still has some juice left, and another year removed from injury will serve him well as he signed with the Tennessee Titans.
The #Titans are expected to sign former #Bengals CB Chidobe Awuzie, per @JFowlerESPN. Will be a 3-year deal for one of the more underrated DBs in the league. pic.twitter.com/hp9GAH9IUA
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 11, 2024
Chidobe Awuzie, Tennessee Titans, Agree to Contract
Awuzie was a standout player at Colorado where he finished his career with 273 tackles, (22nd all-time), 226 unassisted tackles, and 26 TFLs which is the most by a defensive back in school history. He was one of the most versatile players in recent memory at Colorado, as he played all four positions in the secondary: cornerback, free and strong safety, and nickel as well as some outside linebacker.
The Bengals brought Awuzie in to be a centerpiece of their defense in 2021 to patrol the boundary and provide leadership that he exemplified while playing for the Dallas Cowboys from 2017-2020. He has been as advertised in both departments since arriving in Cincinnati where he has amassed two interceptions and twenty-five passes defended.
Cincinnati has invested heavily in their secondary through free agency and the draft since Zac Taylor arrived in 2019 and recent trends have pointed to Awuzie singing elsewhere in 2024. In last year’s draft, the Bengals drafted corner, DJ Turner in the 2nd round and followed it up by taking safety Jordan Battle a round later. Third-year player Dax Hill also serves in this equation and the team plans to move him to corner this offseason which softens the blow of losing Awuzie. This is all part of the youth movement in action from the Bengals to transform the defensive back room.
The market and price tag for Awuzie just didn’t make sense for the Bengals as they will look to free agency and the 2024 draft to continue to build the backend of the defense in Lou Anarumo’s image.
Main Photo: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
