It’s still unknown whether the Cincinnati Bengals will have No. 1 corner Trae Waynes on the field for the season opener.
Waynes certainly won’t be on the field for Sunday’s preseason finale against the Miami Dolphins after suffering what appeared to be a leg injury in a recent training camp practice.
Bengals coach Zac Taylor followed up a few days later by saying it was still unclear as to whether Waynes would be available for the opener.
It’s the latest in a long line of struggles for Waynes since joining the Bengals last year in free agency on a three-year deal worth $42 million. Last year, he suffered a pec injury before training camp that knocked him out of last season and has had other nagging issues alongside this leg injury this summer.
The saga has been enough for Bengals fans to understandably curse the injury bug.
More importantly, it could mean Darius Phillips and other backups have to rotate in with Mike Hilton and Chidobe Awuzie against Miami in Week 1. It would also prevent the actual starting three from finally playing together.
We’ll see if Waynes makes it into practice during the week leading up to the opener. If he’s limited, it’s probably a sign this smaller-looking issue will mean more absences.
