The Cincinnati Bengals have a serious problem with injuries at defensive tackle right now ahead of the divisional round of the NFL playoffs.
And safety Jessie Bates has the solution — call up modern Bengals great Geno Atkins.
It’s a fan theory that started making the rounds on Saturday night after the team’s win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Turns out it is not just fans — Bates says he shot Atkins a text about re-joining the team on Saturday night.
So far? No text back from the man known as Geno Sacks.
Here’s ESPN’s Ben Baby capturing the moment on Sunday:
Bengals S Jessie Bates said he texted former DT Geno Atkins to see if he wanted to come back to play for Cincinnati given the DT injuries.
Bates: "He has not texted me back yet."
— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) January 16, 2022
Atkins, a modern franchise great, spent 2010-2020 with the Bengals, appearing in eight games last year. He spent the offseason getting healthy and was declared ready to sign with a new team last July, but never surfaced anywhere.
With Larry Ogunjobi, Renell Wren, Mike Daniels and Josh Tupou dealing with injuries, Atkins returning to provide some depth and pass-rush would not just be a great moment for him and fans — it’d be a big help.
