Bengals Likely To Part Ways With DT Geno Atkins This Offseason

Update: According to Tyler Dragon, the Bengals and DT Geno Atkins are likely to part ways this offseason. 

Dragon says the two sides will still meet going into the offseason. But given Atkins’ salary, injuries, lack of production and lack of guaranteed money, it seems inevitable he’ll be playing elsewhere in 2021. 

The Bengals announced Wednesday they have placed DT Geno Atkins on injured reserve. 

The Bengals also activated DE Amani Bledsoe from the COVID-19 list. 

Roster Update: We've placed DT Geno Atkins on the Reserve/Injured list with a right shoulder injury.

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) December 16, 2020

This will finish Atkins’ season, as there are only three games left in the regular season. Atkins has been hampered by a shoulder injury since training camp. 

It’s very possible this is the last we’ve seen of Atkins in a Bengals uniform, as his combination of high salary, injuries and low production could make him a cap casualty this offseason.

Atkins, 32, is a former fourth-round pick of the Bengals back in 2010. He was in the final year of a six-year, $56.423 million contract that included $31 million guaranteed and was set to make a base salary of $9.25 million for the 2018 season when he signed a four-year, $65.3 million extension.

Atkins is set to make base salaries of $11.7 and $12.95 million the next two seasons. 

In 2020, Atkins has appeared in eight games for the Bengals and recorded just one tackle.