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Chidobe Awuzie

Titans Activate Chidobe Awuzie, Place Logan Bruss On IR

December 7th, 2024 at 6:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

Chidobe Awuzie is set to see his first game action since September. The veteran corner was activated from injured reserve on Saturday, per a Titans announcement.

Awuzie went down with a groin injury in Week 3, and he was quickly moved to IR. He has remained out of the picture since then, but by returning to practice last week it was clear he would soon be an option to be activated. Plenty of time still remained on Awuzie’s 21-day window to be brought back into the fold, but today’s news means he will be available for Tennessee’s Week 14 matchup.

The 29-year-old had a three-year run with the Bengals which included 32 starts and 37 appearances. Fully recovered from his 2022 ACL tear, Awuzie took a free agent deal with the Titans this offseason which allowed him to continue working under former Cincinnati OC Brian Callahan. Given the nature of that three-year, $36MM pact, expectations were high for the former second-rounder but his injury interrupted his debut Tennessee season. Awuzie should return to the starting role he held at the start of the campaign now that he is healthy.

The Titans are out of playoff contention, but they rank No. 1 in the NFL against the pass and No. 2 in total defense this season. Getting Awuzie back will provide a boost to the team’s secondary (which is without L’Jarius Sneed) down the stretch and allow him to see game action ahead of 2025. Tennessee has six IR activations remaining on the year.

In a corresponding move, offensive lineman Logan Bruss has been moved to injured reserve. The former third-rounder was claimed off waivers from the Rams last month, and he has made three appearances with Tennessee to date. This move guarantees at least a four-game absence, however, meaning Bruss will not be eligible to return until the final week of the regular season.

Titans Designate Chidobe Awuzie For Return

November 25th, 2024 at 12:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

Chidobe Awuzie has been out of the Titans’ lineup since September, but he could be back in the picture soon. The veteran corner will return to practice this week, head coach Brian Callahan announced on Monday. The team has since confirmed the return designation.

Awuzie suffered a groin injury in Week 3, and he landed on injured reserve shortly thereafter. The IR designation ensured at least a four-game absence, but the 29-year-old has been unavailable well past the point when he first became eligible to resume practicing. Today’s news is a positive update regarding Awuzie’s ability to take part in the latter stages of the campaign, though.

Once the free agent pickup officially returns to practice, his 21-day activation period will begin. Awuzie will need to be moved to the active roster within that span to avoid reverting to season-ending IR. Provided that happens, he will give Tennessee another starting option in the secondary after he handled first-team duties during his opening Titans contests.

Awuzie followed Callahan from Cincinnati to Tennessee this offseason, inking a three-year, $36MM deal. Expectations were high for the former second-rounder in particular and the Titans’ secondary overall entering the year. The trade acquisition of L’Jarus Sneed and the hiring of Dennard Wilson as defensive coordinator has helped Tennessee lead the NFL in passing yards allowed per game so far (170). That success has come in spite of Sneed being limited to only five contests in 2024; he is now on IR.

While Sneed is set to continue missing time, Awuzue could return to action as soon as Week 13. He will not play a role in a postseason run given Tennessee’s 3-8 record, but remaining healthy upon activation would be a welcomed development for team and player ahead of the 2025 campaign.

Titans Place CB Chidobe Awuzie On IR

September 27th, 2024 at 1:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

SEPTEMBER 27: Awuzie has indeed been placed on IR, per a team announcement. A notable absence is thus in store as the team looks to rebound from an underwhelming start to the campaign.

SEPTEMBER 23: A groin injury might lead to an extended absence for Chidobe Awuzie. The veteran corner could be placed on injured reserve, Titans head coach Brian Callahan said on Monday.

[RELATED: Will Levis To Remain Titans’ Starting QB]

An IR move would guarantee at least a four-game absence. Callahan said injured reserve is “definitely a possibility” at this point (h/t Terry McCormick of Titans Insider), so it would come as no surprise if the team were to take that route. Missing Awuzie for any period will leave the 0-3 Titans without a starter in the secondary.

The 29-year-old began his career with the Cowboys before a three-year stint with the Bengals. Awuzie followed Callahan from Cincinnati to Tennessee this offseason on a three-year, $36MM pact. That commitment illustrates the Titans’ confidence in the second-rounder’s ability to return to his pre-2022 ACL tear form. Awuzie started all three games during his debut campaign in Nashville, collecting four tackles.

Tennessee also has returnee Roger McCreary in place at the cornerback spot, along with trade acquisition L’Jarius Sneed. The latter was franchise-tagged by the Chiefs this offseason, but team and player were unable to come to terms on a long-term deal, prompting the trade. Sneed inked a four-year, $76.4MM contract upon arrival with the Titans, and he will be counted on to remain a focal point in the secondary with Awuzie out of the picture.

Jarvis Brownlee is now in position to take on a starting role for the Titans. The fifth-round rookie has played each game so far this year, logging a minor defensive role in addition to a notable special teams workload. In terms of depth, Tre Avery is a candidate to be promoted from the practice squad to the active roster while Awuzie recovers.

Contract Details: Young, Awuzie, Taylor, Rams, Cards, Chargers, 49ers, Lions, Texans

March 20th, 2024 at 10:12am CST by Sam Robinson

With free agency’s first wave in the rearview mirror, here is a look at some of the contracts authorized by teams in the days since the market opened:

  • Chidobe Awuzie, CB (Titans). Three years, $36MM. Contract includes $22.98MM guaranteed. Awuzie’s 2025 base salary ($11.49MM) is guaranteed for injury at signing, with $7.51MM of that total fully guaranteed. Awuzie being on Tennessee’s roster on April 1 of next year locks in the other $3.98MM. The veteran cornerback is a due a $1MM bonus on April 1, 2026, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
  • Darious Williams, CB (Rams). Three years, $22.5MM. Commanding a market, the recent Jaguars cap casualty’s second Rams contract can be worth up to $30MM, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
  • Chase Young, DE (Saints). One year, $13MM. The deal includes $7.99MM in per-game roster bonuses, CBS Sports Jonathan Jones notes. Including a $2.7MM base salary and a $1.86MM signing bonus, Young’s New Orleans pact is still heavily tilted toward games active. That will make the defensive end’s recovery from neck surgery worth monitoring more closely.
  • Tyrod Taylor, QB (Jets): Two years, $12MM. Taylor will see $8.5MM fully guaranteed, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets. An additional $6MM in incentives are present in the veteran QB’s deal. Three void years are included here, dropping Taylor’s 2024 cap hit to $2.8MM.
  • DeeJay Dallas, RB (Cardinals): Three years, $8.25MM. Dallas will see $2.4MM guaranteed, Wilson tweets. The final two base salaries on this contract — both worth $2.4MM — are nonguaranteed. Rushing yards-based incentives run up to $750K per year in this deal.
  • Javon Kinlaw, DT (Jets): One year, $7.25MM. The ex-49ers first-rounder will receive a $5.5MM signing bonus, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson indicating the deal also includes $1.75MM in incentives.
  • Gus Edwards, RB (Chargers). Two years, $6.5MM. The ex-Ravens back will see $3.38MM guaranteed, Wilson tweets. Edwards’ $3MM 2025 base salary is nonguaranteed, with Wilson adding he is due a $125K roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2025 league year.
  • Noah Brown, WR (Texans): One year, $4MM. Brown re-signed with the Texans for $3MM guaranteed, per Wilson. The wideout’s second Houston contract can max out at $5MM.
  • Jon Feliciano, G (49ers). One year, $2.75MM. Feliciano will receive a $925K signing bonus, and Wilson adds $1.25MM in incentives are present in this accord.
  • Emmanuel Moseley, CB (Lions). One year, $1.13MM. Moseley will stay in Detroit for the veteran minimum, via the Detroit News’ Justin Rogers. Coming off a second ACL tear in two years, Moseley will receive a $1MM signing bonus. He received $6MM in 2023.

Titans To Sign CB Chidobe Awuzie

March 11th, 2024 at 4:28pm CST by Ben Levine

Chidobe Awuzie will follow Brian Callahan from Cincinnati to Tennessee. The veteran corner has agreed to a three-year deal with the Titans, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

After Awuzie served as a vital presence in Cincinnati during its Super Bowl LVI run, the Bengals saw this contract deliver diminishing returns over the following two years. A Halloween 2022 ACL tear threw Awuzie off track, and after he returned in time for Week 1 in 2023, Lou Anarumo benched the former second-rounder around midseason.

The 6-foot defender received a second chance down the stretch and fared better. Awuzie played at least 97% of the Bengals’ defensive snaps in five of six games from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. Still, with the Bengals having drafted two outside CBs early in the past two drafts (Cam Taylor-Britt, DJ Turner), it was clear his future wasn’t in Cincy.

As Callahan looks to fill out his first Titans squad, the former Bengals OC was surely looking for some reinforcement at cornerback. Kristian Fulton isn’t expected to be back in Tennesee next season while Sean Murphy-Bunting left to join the Cardinals.

The Titans can hang their hat on Pro Football Focus grading Awuzie 14th in 2021 and 33rd prior to his ACL tear. He’ll also be nearly two years removed from the injury next season, reducing any health concerns.

Bengals Unlikely To Re-Sign CB Chidobe Awuzie?

December 31st, 2023 at 11:28am CST by Rory Parks

Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie is in the final year of the three-year, $21.75MM contract he signed in March 2021. According to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic (subscription required), Awuzie is unlikely to be back in Cincinnati in 2024.

Dehner’s expanisve piece, which details Awuzie’s journey from his early success with the Bengals through his recovery from his 2022 ACL tear and to last week’s struggles in a loss to the Steelers, notes that Awuzie still views himself as a starting corner. Cincinnati, however, will want to move forward with recent draftees Cam Taylor-Britt and DJ Turner as its starting CBs on the boundaries, and the clear implication is that, unless Awuzie is unable to find a starter’s contract on the open market, he will be moving on.

Of course, there is a good chance that Awuzie’s market will not develop as he would like. He built on a stellar 2021 with a strong start to the 2022 campaign, but the ACL tear he suffered in Week 8 of that season derailed his career. The Bengals deployed something of a rotation with Awuzie and the rookie Turner to start the current season, and between that rotation and an early-season back injury, he was unable to get into much of a rhythm. He also conceded that he had not yet recaptured the speed that is such a key element of his game.

He did appear to be rounding into form from Weeks 11 to 15. Due to an injury to Taylor-Britt, Awuzie returned to a full-time role and yielded a modest 73.6 passer rating during that time. Then, in the Week 16 loss to Pittsburgh, he struggled mightily against wideout George Pickens, which negated that string of strong performances to some degree.

As such, the final two games of the regular season and, if the Bengals should qualify for the playoffs, any postseason contests will go a long way towards determining Awuzie’s next home, as well as the nature of his next contract. Should he play well, it would easy enough for interested clubs to point to his strong start to his Cincinnati tenure and the fact that he showed flashes in his first year following an ACL tear to justify a lucrative, multiyear deal. If he should struggle, then he may need to settle for a one-year, prove-it contract, which could theoretically increase the chances of a Bengals re-up.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/25/23

July 25th, 2023 at 7:43pm CST by Ben Levine

With a number of teams preparing for the start of training camp, a long list of players were placed on inactive lists today. We’ve compiled all of those and today’s other minor moves below:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Free Agents

Isaiah Wilson hasn’t had an NFL gig since he was released by the Giants in January of 2022. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets that the free agent lineman was slapped with a three-game suspension, but it’s uncertain what led to the temporary ban. Wilson was a first-round pick by the Titans in 2020 but got into only one game with Tennessee before getting shipped off to Miami. He was waived by Miami after showing up late to his team physical, and his practice squad stint with New York only lasted one season.

Max Garcia is an experienced addition to the Saints OL room, with the veteran having most recently started seven of his 12 appearances with the Cardinals in 2022. The 31-year-old has 59 games of starting experience, although Pro Football Focus was iffy on his production last year (63rd among 77 qualifying offensive guards).

Following a three-year stint in Cleveland, Terrance Mitchell has spent the past two seasons bouncing around the NFL. He got into 14 games (13 starts) for the Texans in 2021, finishing with 60 tackles and 10 passes defended. He spent the 2022 season with the Titans, finishing with 39 tackles in 11 games (five starts). 49ers fifth-round pick Darrell Luter Jr. is set to miss some time with a knee injury, providing Mitchell with an opportunity during training camp.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/23/23

July 23rd, 2023 at 5:58pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor moves heading into the week:

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Detroit Lions

Ravens fans can breathe a sigh of relief now that Bateman is set to return for camp. Bateman missed most of the team’s spring activities after receiving a cortisone shot in hopes it would help him get back in time for camp. It was slightly concerning that he didn’t initially report with the rest of the team, but general manager Eric DeCosta had reassured the media that Bateman was expected back soon. Two days later and Bateman should be in attendance for camp to start this week.

Claypool has been dealing with a soft tissue injury from earlier in the offseason. He was expected back in time for camp but clearly will have to wait a bit to rejoin the team.

With the departure of Eli Apple in free agency, Awuzie is expected to take a step up in the Bengals’ defense this year. Cincinnati will hope to get him back and working with the first-team secondary again soon. The absences of Cochran and Collins leave the team a little thin on tackle depth, but the starters remain available as Jonah Williams avoids any injury designations.

Detroit will have Jameson Williams available for training camp but not for the start of the season. The Lions will be hoping to get the opposite result for Jones, who will be unavailable to start camp.

Bengals Set To Face Challenge To Young Culture

June 10th, 2023 at 5:59pm CST by Ely Allen

The Bengals have established a pattern in recent years that show they prize youth and tend not to sign players to third contracts. After past days of paying staples like Geno Atkins, Carlos Dunlap, and A.J. Green, Cincinnati has flipped gears, allowing such mainstays as C.J. Uzomah, Vonn Bell, and Giovani Bernard to walk in favor of younger players. Center Ted Karras is the only starter currently in his 30s, and backups safety Michael Thomas and quarterback Trevor Siemian are the only others on the roster older than him.

This newfound aversion to paying players into their 30s will be put to the test in the next two years, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. Next year will be a contract year for cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, wide receiver Tyler Boyd, and defensive tackle D.J. Reader, all currently wrapping up their second contracts. The following offseason will see the pending free agency of defensive end Trey Hendrickson, as well. If recent tradition holds true, none of the four would don striped helmets in 2025. These four present a great challenge to the Bengals’ young philosophy.

Perhaps projecting this exact philosophy, Cincinnati used three draft picks on these positions, selecting pass rusher Myles Murphy in the first round, cornerback DJ Turner II in the second round, and wide receiver Charlie Jones in the fourth round. Jones doesn’t quite have the size to be an eventual replacement for Boyd, but Murphy and Turner seem like clear attempts to bolster the future at those two positions.

You’ll notice Reader didn’t have a possible replacement drafted. Dehner asserts that of all the aging players, Reader stands the best chance of returning on a third contract. Ever since arriving from Houston, Reader has played at another level for the Bengals. He’s a captain and the spirit of the team’s defense. Dehner asserts that the benefits of milking every last ounce of football talent out of Reader outweigh the risks of taking on a portion of his eventual decline. The Bengals may need some convincing, though, as interior defensive linemen rarely display top play into their 30s. Reader turns 29 at the turn of this month.

Hendrickson likely holds the spot as the next most-likely candidate for a third contract. An underrated addition when he came over from New Orleans, Hendrickson has been nothing short of a star in Cincinnati. He followed up an impressive contract year as a Saint with two straight Pro Bowl seasons, including one with 14.0 sacks. Hendrickson turns 29 this December, meaning the Saints will have to consider whether to bring him back for any of his 30s next offseason. Truly talented pass rushers are hard to come by, so if Hendrickson performs to his usual potential, it should be an easy decision for the Bengals. Any injuries or setbacks in production, though, could put his future with the team in jeopardy.

Of course, this is all purely academic as of right now. The Bengals recent moves could all be coincidental, or they could be working on a case-by-case basis with none yet meeting the requirements necessary to reach a third contract. Regardless, Reader, Hendrickson, Boyd, and Awuzie are all headed towards that eventual consideration. Will they be the first to buck the team’s recent trends or will Cincinnati’s roster continue to be one of the youngest in the league?

AFC North Notes: Steelers, Browns, Awuzie

April 21st, 2023 at 12:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Allen Robinson passing his physical will send him to a fourth NFL team. The Rams will assume much of Robinson’s 2023 payout — as a result of the three-year, $46.5MM deal they authorized in 2022 — and could only offload that contract for a 17-spot jump in the seventh round. The Steelers adjusted Robinson’s contract further before the trade became official, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com indicating (via Twitter) the wide receiver will collect a $3.84MM signing bonus from his new team. That will help reduce his cap hit. As for 2024, Rapoport adds Robinson’s base salary will drop from $15MM to $10MM. Two void years are also present on Robinson’s Steelers deal, per OverTheCap, which indicates the 10th-year veteran will be tied to a $5MM cap number this year and a $10MM hit in 2024. While Robinson’s $5MM 2023 salary is locked in, nothing is guaranteed for 2024.

The Steelers sought an experienced option at receiver, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac, due to second-year players George Pickens and Calvin Austin being expected to play significant roles in 2023 (Twitter link). Robinson will join Diontae Johnson, who is going into his fifth season, as veteran options. This might lead to the Steelers addressing other positions with their Day 2 draft capital; the team has taken eight wideouts on the draft’s second day since 2013.

Here is the latest from the AFC North:

  • Four years after working together on a dysfunctional Browns team, Odell Beckham Jr. and Todd Monken reunited with the Ravens. Beckham said he and the recently hired Baltimore OC have a great relationship. In 2019, however, Monken served as a non-play-calling OC under Freddie Kitchens, who was fired after one season. Midway through that disappointing Browns slate, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot notes Beckham initiated a clear-the-air meeting with Monken in an effort to move parties onto the same page. Browns wideouts perceived Kitchens and the team’s QBs at the time to be “cliquey,” and the disconnect led to shouting matches between wideouts and coaches. The Browns disbanded the Beckham-Baker Mayfield partnership midway through the 2021 season. Although Monken ran the offensive meetings during the week in 2019, Cabot adds the future Georgia staffer did not have much play-calling input. The Ravens will count on Monken, who now has a third NFL OC opportunity, and OBJ to elevate their offense next season.
  • Amari Cooper may miss some offseason time due to a core surgery he underwent this offseason. Cooper did not miss any games last season, but Cabot adds he underwent this procedure in February. Kevin Stefanski said the team will not rush Cooper back, so it stands to reason the ninth-year wideout may not be a full OTAs participant. Cooper, 28, put together his sixth 1,000-yard season in 2022; two years remain on his Cowboys-constructed contract.
  • It might take a bit longer for Chidobe Awuzie to return to work with the Bengals. The veteran cornerback suffered a torn ACL during a Halloween matchup against the Browns. He is targeting a return by Week 1, Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets. The Bengals no longer have Eli Apple under contract, but they signed Sidney Jones in free agency. Jones joins Mike Hilton and Cam Taylor-Britt as the top healthy Bengal corners. One season remains on Awuzie’s deal.
  • While the Steelers gave Bud Dupree a physical, Dulac notes the former Pittsburgh first-rounder’s free agency visit did not include contract talks. Dupree, who played for the Steelers from 2015-20, signed a one-year, $3MM deal with the Falcons last week. A number of veteran edge rushers — Yannick Ngakoue, Frank Clark, Leonard Floyd and Jadeveon Clowney among them — remain unsigned. The Steelers will likely be seeking a low-cost option to be their third edge rusher behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Malik Reed held that role last year; Reed has since joined the Dolphins.
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