Bengals Place RT Riley Reiff On IR, CB Chidobe Awuzie On COVID-19 List

The Bengals announced they have placed RT Riley Reiff on injured reserve and CB Chidobe Awuzie on the COVID-19 list. 

We've made the following roster moves:
– Placed OT Riley Reiff on the Reserve/Injured list.
– Placed CB Chidobe Awuzie on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) December 16, 2021

Both are key starters for Cincinnati, so this isn’t a minor loss. 

Reiff will be eligible to return after sitting out three games minimum. Awuzie, if he’s vaccinated, must test negative two times 24 hours apart to clear the protocols. 

Awuzie, 26, is a former second-round pick by the Cowboys in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Colorado. He played out the final year of his four-year, $4.3 million rookie contract and tested the market as an unrestricted free agent in 2021. 

Awuzie signed a three-year, $21.75 million deal with the Bengals. 

In 2021, Awuzie has appeared in 12 games for the Bengals and recorded 47 total tackles, two interceptions and 12 pass deflections. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 7 cornerback out of 119 qualifying players. 

Reiff, 33, is a former first-round pick by the Lions in the 2012 NFL Draft. He finished his four-year, $7,993,700 rookie contract with Detroit and another made $8,070,000 under his fifth-year option.

Reiff signed a five-year, $58.75 million deal with the Vikings as an unrestricted free agent in 2017. He was entering the fourth year of the deal and was set to make base salaries of $10.9 million and $11.65 million the next two seasons when Minnesota forced him to take a pay cut entering the 2020 season.  

The Vikings opted to release Reiff the following offseason. He landed with the Bengals on a one-year, $7.5 million deal.

In 2021, Reiff has started 12 games for the Bengals at right tackle. Pro Football Focus graded him as the No. 50 overall tackle out of 82 qualifying players.