Brandon Wilson was one of the best new developments about the Cincinnati Bengals this season.
Fitting with the theme of this downtrodden season though, the Bengals had to send Wilson to injured reserve Friday as a corresponding move after he injured his hand making a tackle in the team’s first win.
Wilson, a sixth-round pick in 2017, found himself shoved into returning duties this season after injuries to others and — like his college days — he turned out to be nothing short of superb at it
His final tally besides the team-lead in special teams tackles? Twenty returns for 625 yards and one touchdown, good for an average of 31.3. That average is an NFL best mark — and he’ll remain in contention to finish first overall because he just hit the minimum number of attempts to qualify:
The Bengals are in good hands when it comes to returns thanks to the re-debut of Darius Phillips, who is fresh off injured reserve and flashed serious upside there before getting hurt.
But the timing of the Wilson injury is a disappointing one. If nothing else, the good takeaway is the Bengals could have a seriously lethal one-two punch on special teams returns next year, if not for a long time.
