Veteran cornerback Chidobe Awuzie was cut by the Tennessee Titans last week after just one season with the team.
Last offseason, the cornerback inked a three-year, $36 million deal with the Titans after spending the previous three seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. However, 2024 was a down season for the veteran, who played in just eight games due to injury.
The Titans decided to move on from the veteran, and now Awuzie will look to latch on with a new team for the second offseason in a row.
Harrison Simeon of Sports Illustrated recently identified some logical landing spots for Awuzie. Simeon sees a reunion with the Bengals as a likely scenario. Regarding the possible reunion, Simeon offered the following:
The Bengals are coming off a 9-8 season in which their defense was a major weak spot. Cincy allowed an average of 348.3 yards per game, ranked No. 25 in the NFL. Bringing in a familiar face like Awuzie would not be out of the picture, especially one whose best years were spent in the building.
In 2024, Awuzie collected 26 tackles, four pass deflections, and one interception. Pro Football Focus gave Awuzie a 64.4 overall grade in 2024, which ranked 91st out of 222 qualified cornerbacks.
From 2021-23, Awuzie played in 37 games for the Bengals and collected 156 tackles, six tackles for loss, 25 pass deflections and two interceptions.
The Bengals have a serious need at cornerback. Cam Taylor-Britt and Dax Hill are currently slotted in as starters on the boundary, and both struggled at times in 2024 and Hill is coming off a serious injury.
Additionally, standout veteran Mike Hilton is still unsigned, leaving a massive veteran gap in the secondary. Awuzie is familiar with the Bengals’ coaching staff and would seamlessly slot right back into the lineup.
Another area Awuzie would help in is run defense. The veteran earned an 80.4 run defense grade last season, which would benefit a Bengals team that finished in the bottom-half of the league in rushing yards allowed.
Awuzie was slated to earn $12 million in 2025, but after being cut, the veteran could settle for less on the open market. The Bengals still have around $26 million in cap space, per Over the Cap, so a reunion with Awuzie is certainly plausible.
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