Quinton Spain will fight underrated status

Quinton Spain thinks he is one of the most underrated players in the NFL. However, he plans to change that in 2021.

The Bengals offensive line was a huge issue in 2020. They failed to properly protect Joe Burrow to the point the rookie quarterback suffered an ACL injury that caused him to miss almost half of his first season. One of the few players from 2020 who should hold their head high from their performance on the offensive line was Quinton Spain.

Spain was a mid-season acquisition that ended up being very serviceable at a few different spots on the offensive line. However, the veteran guard from undrafted origins plans to prove he is a starting caliber lineman in 2021.

Spain joined the Bengals after being released by the Bills during 2020. He was almost instantly inserted as a starter with injuries hitting Cincinnati’s offensive line pretty hard. He then started on the opposite side of the line, and he even played a game at tackle before settling back in at guard.

He came in and did exactly what the Bengals offensive line needed from him each week. He wasn’t always spectacular, but he covered up areas that were severe holes prior to his arrival.

Spain is set to battle fellow veteran guard Xavier Su’a-Filo at the left guard position. It is also possible he could give rookie offensive lineman Jackson Carman a run for his spot at right guard if the rookie comes in and struggles to adjust to playing inside. At the very least, Spain should end up as the first offensive lineman off the bench in case either of those guys goes down.

The Bengals would love to see Spain prove himself right, though. They really need to start finding a few more long term solutions to their offensive line if they hope to have long term success with Burrow down the road.