Majority of injured Bengals should be ready for Day 1 of training camp

C.J. Uzomah is among the Bengals recovering from significant 2020 injuries.

The Cincinnati Bengals are just three weeks away from the start of training camp, and it sounds like the majority of their roster will be good to go Day 1.

While Joe Burrow (torn ACL) gets much of the attention when it comes to guys recovering from injury, several other Bengals who ended the year on injured reserve are recovering from various things, but most of them should be able to practice when camp opens.

According to Bengals.com editor Geoff Hobson, starting center Trey Hopkins is the only player who may not be ready for Day 1 of camp.

From what I can gather, most of the injured guys are going to be ready to go on the first day of training camp. Center Trey Hopkins (ACL) may need a little more time, but veteran Billy Price is ready to go in his place until he gets back and it sounds like Hopkins has a shot to play the opener or somewhere close.

Among the other key players recovering from injury include Trae Waynes (torn pectoral muscle), C.J. Uzomah (torn Achilles) and Joe Mixon (foot), though all of them took part in OTAs to some degree and should be good to go for camp.

Uzomah’s injury was the most serious of that group, so it’s good to know he should get a full training camp in since he’s currently the Bengals’ only reliable option at tight end.

As for Hopkins, who tore his ACL in Week 17, the thought has been he’d be able to take part in camp at some point, though it sounds like Billy Price will be the starting center when it initially opens and potentially longer. The “has a shot to play the opener or somewhere close” makes it sound like there’s a real chance he’s not ready Week 1.

This is the final year of Price’s rookie deal, so hopefully he can have a solid camp and make the Bengals confident in his abilities as a backup center who could be starting Week 1 if Hopkins isn’t ready.