Amarius Mims’ Injury Isn’t Worth Panicking Over
Credit: Phil Didion/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
Cincinnati’s recent history with offensive linemen has been complicated, to say the least. In the last decade, Duke Tobin has invested early draft capital on the likes of Cedric Ogbuehi, Billy Price, Jonah Williams, and Jackson Carman. Ogbuehi hasn’t started a game since 2017, Price retired for medical reasons, Williams is now with the Arizona Cardinals, and Carman plays as if he wants me to stop believing in a higher power.
Jackson Carman Preseason Week 1 pic.twitter.com/QEB5J1jD0N
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) August 11, 2024
Despite all these botched high picks on offensive linemen, when the Bengals selected offensive tackle Amarius Mims with the 18th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, I uttered two simple words.
“Thank God.”
The pick showed that Duke Tobin was not willing to give up on finding top-tier protection for Joe Burrow. It also helped restore the sanity I temporarily lost when the Falcons selected Michael Penix Jr. ten picks prior.
In the first preseason game, Mims played a grand total of 15 snaps on two drives (one of which was for a touchdown) and performed about as well as he possibly could have.
Every Amarius Mims snap from his first game with the Bengals. pic.twitter.com/JBtP5raPos
— Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) August 11, 2024
However, Zac Taylor revealed on Monday that Mims suffered a strained pec that wouldn’t require surgery. The good news stops exactly at “won’t require surgery.” The sixth-year head coach said that he would be out for several weeks, and an exact timetable for recovery was not provided.
When announcing Amarius Mims will miss several weeks with a pec injury, Zac Taylor came prepared with the dictionary definition of 'several' as a call back to his use of that word with Joe Burrow's calf injury. pic.twitter.com/7eTwmU46kZ
— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) August 12, 2024
However, despite the offensive tackle’s injury history, now is not the time to panic. Taylor referred to Mims’ injury as an “extremely minor setback”. He even added that it’s possible that he could be available for the Bengals’ home opener on September 8th against New England, which heavily implies that he may have already earned the starting right tackle job.
“I wouldn’t take anything off the table,” Taylor said. “I think he’s had a really good training camp. It’s tough that he’s not going to get some opportunities. But the guy has addressed everything we’ve thrown at him head-on and done a great job. He’s still got the same energetic personality and this didn’t set him back at all.”
Despite his impressive training camp, the news was unsettling to Bengals fans who were more than aware of Mims’ injury history. In college, he suffered a high ankle sprain that took him out of a decent portion of the 2023 season. At the NFL Combine, he pulled a hamstring during the 40-yard dash. Despite all this, Mims is not terribly worried and is simply going to listen to his body and focus on his recovery.
“I’m just going to attack rehab every day and get back whenever I can,” Mims said.
Mims’ injury, as minor as it was, served as an “I told you so!” moment for Bengals fans who are predicting that he will be a repeat of Cedric Ogbuehi. Injuries are a part of the game and they happen to just about every player, especially in a sport where players use all their might and go toe-to-toe with the best athletes in the world. Offensive tackles are bull-rushed by the likes of T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett, play after play after play. If I went up against Garrett, I would suffer a sprained ankle just from running away screaming.
Mind you, Amarius Mims was a player that wasn’t even supposed to start going into the season.
#Bengals release first depth chart of the season.
Trent Brown listed as starter at RT
Trenton Irwin at WR3
DJ Turner as the starting CB ahead of Dax Hill
Trayveon Williams as KR pic.twitter.com/J6DOovhIwP— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) August 5, 2024
Mims was a player that came into the NFL with all the potential in the world, but a limited number of starts in college. The original plan was to make veteran Trent Brown the starter, and Mims would get reps along the way. However, the rookie was so impressive in training camp and in the Bengals’ first preseason game that he vaulted himself up the depth chart as a potential starter going into the season.
Despite the setback, Mims still has all the potential in the world to be an All-Pro protector for Burrow. He’s motivated to get there, too as he’s already using the time off to watch himself on film and perfect his technique.
“Some of my sets weren’t as fast as I wanted them to be,” Mims said regarding his preseason debut. “Some of them weren’t as aggressive and meaningful as I wanted them to be. So like I said, I can just watch the film and I already have this morning. I saw that and now it’s time, like I said, my rehab, I can watch myself and get back to my old self.”
Even if Mims won’t get the preseason reps that will be crucial for his development as he enters his rookie campaign, he is still committed to becoming the best player he can be and putting his injury history behind him.
“I’m going to be growing mentally and physically,” Mims said regarding his upcoming recovery period.
With how committed Mims is to his growth as a player, a minor setback will not affect his overall career outlook. The injury is no reason to panic. Unless Carman has to start at right tackle, that is. Then, Bengals fans can panic.
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