Titans' Chidobe Awuzie: Approaching return to practice
Rotowire
Coach Brian Callahan said Wednesday that he expects Awuzie (groin) to return to practice ahead of Week 13, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
Awuzie is in line to miss his eighth straight game in Week 12 as he nurses a nagging groin issue, but it now looks like a return to action is within sight. If he does return to practice next week, it would give him a path to play at Washington in Week 13.
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Titans' Chidobe Awuzie: Close to returning to practice
Rotowire
There's optimism Awuzie (groin) could return to practice within two to three weeks, John Glennon of NashvillePost.com reports.
Awuzie has been on IR for Tennessee's last five games due to a groin issue he picked up in Week 3 versus the Packers, but there's reason to believe it won't be long before he's back on the field. In the meantime, Darrell Baker figures to continue to see increased work.
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Titans' Chidobe Awuzie: Officially placed on IR
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The Titans placed Awuzie (groin) on injured reserve Friday.
Coach Brian Callahan had already said this move was coming this week. Awuzie started all three games to begin the season, registering four tackles (three solo) before going down last week against the Packers. Look for Jarvis Brownlee to enter the rotation at cornerback alongside L'Jarius Sneed and Roger McCreary for Tennessee. Awuzie will be eligible to return in Week 9 against the Patriots since the Titans have a Week 5 bye.
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Titans' Chidobe Awuzie: Extended absence likely
Rotowire
Head coach Brian Callahan said Monday that Awuzie's groin injury will keep him out for weeks, Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com reports.
Awuzie exited Sunday's loss to the Packers early with the injury and was unable to return. Any extended absence, which it appears he is facing, will be a blow to the Titans' secondary and lead to extra opportunities for Jarvis Brownlee and Darrell Baker.
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Titans' Chidobe Awuzie: Active Sunday
Rotowire
Awuzie (calf) is active for Sunday's game against the Bears, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
The cornerback should be in line to start opposite L'Jarius Sneed. Awuzie popped up on the injury report Friday. The eighth-year pro signed a three-year, $36-million contract with the Titans in the offseason after spending the previous three seasons with the Bengals.
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Titans' Chidobe Awuzie: Past calf issue
Rotowire
Awuzie (calf) was left off Tennessee's injury report Wednesday ahead of Sunday's Week 1 contest against the Bears, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
Awuzie was sidelined for the past month with a calf injury, but it appears he's moved past the issue just in time for Tennessee's Week 1 outing. The first-year Titan is expected to line up opposite L'Jarius Sneed as a part of the team's new and improved cornerback room in 2024.
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Titans' Chidobe Awuzie: To remain out this week
Rotowire
Awuzie (calf) won't play this week but could return to practice soon, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com reports.
Awuzie has missed the bulk of training camp due to a calf injury and will likely end up being sidelined for all three of the Titans' preseason games. The fact that the veteran cornerback is expected to resume practicing soon, though, bodes well for his likelihood of suiting up Week 1 of the regular season. Awuzie is looking to bolster Tennessee's secondary after recording 57 tackles (43 solo) and six pass defenses over 15 regular-season games with Cincinnati last season.
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Titans' Chidobe Awuzie: Agrees to deal with Titans
Rotowire
Tennessee plans to sign Awuzie to a three-year contract, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Awuzie immediately projects as the top cornerback for a Titans defense that was middling against the pass in 2023. Over 15 games in 2023, he posted 57 tackles (43 solo) and six passes defensed.
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Bengals' Chidobe Awuzie: Missing season finale
Rotowire
Awuzie (shoulder) is inactive ahead of Sunday's game against the Browns.
The veteran cornerback was originally listed as questionable after he went from a limited practice session Thursday to a DNP on Friday, but it now seems as if he won't be able to suit up in Week 18. Expect Cam Taylor-Britt to shoulder an increased workload in Awuzie's stead.
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Bengals' Chidobe Awuzie: Good to go Thursday
Rotowire
Awuzie (knee) does not carry an injury designation going into Thursday's game at Baltimore.
After being limited at practice Tuesday, Awuzie was able to upgrade to full participation Tuesday and Wednesday, putting him in position to suit up in Week 11. He should step back into a rotational role in the Bengals' defensive backfield against the run-dependent Ravens.
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Bengals' Chidobe Awuzie: Nursing knee injury
Rotowire
Awuzie (knee) was a limited participant at practice Tuesday, Jay Morrison of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.
It's not clear when Awuzie hurt his knee or how severe the issue might be at this point. Either way, he will likely end up being questionable for Week 11 if he can't manage a full practice Wednesday.
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Bengals' Chidobe Awuzie: Active Sunday
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Awuzie (back) is active ahead of Sunday's game against the Seahawks, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.
The veteran cornerback was listed as a game-time decision after he missed the Bengals' Week 5 win over the Cardinals, but it now seems as if he'll play through his back issue this Sunday. Awuzie has appeared in 26 games for Cincinnati over the past three years, logging 113 total tackles, 20 pass deflections and two interceptions.
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Bengals' Chidobe Awuzie: Back at practice, still limited
Rotowire
Awuzie (back) was a limited participant at practice Thursday, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.
After opening the week by not participating at practice Wednesday, Awuzie took a positive step towards suiting up in Week 6 by managing limited participation Thursday. He'll still probably need to practice in full Friday to avoid carrying an injury designation into the weekend.
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Bengals' Chidobe Awuzie: Cleared to return to practice
Rotowire
Awuzie (knee) was removed from the active/PUP list Tuesday.
Awuzie was placed on the PUP list Sunday, but he's already been cleared to return to practice and appears ready to go ahead of the 2023 campaign. The cornerback played in eight contests with the Bengals last season, recording 35 tackles, five pass deflections and a forced fumble.
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Bengals' Chidobe Awuzie: Placed on PUP list
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Awuzie (knee) was placed on the active//PUP list Sunday.
Awuzie said Sunday that he was "heading in a positive direction" and "feeling really good right now," according to Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer. However, the 28-year-old is still not fully recovered from his torn ACL suffered in Week 8 of last season. He'll be eligible to play in the preseason if he can prove himself healthy, although a Week 1 return is the more realistic goal.
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Bengals' Chidobe Awuzie: Continues to rehab at minicamp
Rotowire
Awuzie (knee) was rehabbing during the first day of Cincinnati's mandatory minicamp Tuesday, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.
Awuzie tore his ACL in Week 8 last season, but he said earlier in the offseason that he believes he'll be ready to go by Week 1 of 2023. Per Dehner, the cornerback looked explosive and fluid on the side fields Tuesday, confirming Awuzie's notion that his rehab is ahead of schedule. Regardless, the Bengals presumably won't push Awuzie into full-team drills until training camp. With Eli Apple out of the picture, Awuzie is slated for a starting outside job when he's back to full strength.
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Bengals' Chidobe Awuzie: Rehab going well
Rotowire
Awuzie (knee) believes that he will be ready to go for the 2023 campaign, Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Awuzie tore his ACL in Week 8 of the 2022 season, missing the remainder of the Bengals' contests while recovering. The cornerback said that his rehab is going well, and his goal is to be ready for Week 1 of the upcoming campaign. With Eli Apple no longer a part of the team, Awuzie, when healthy, could operate in a more significant role in Cincinnati's secondary.
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Bengals' Chidobe Awuzie: No timetable for return
Rotowire
Awuzie (knee) won't put a timeline on his return, Geoff Hobson of the team's official site reports.
Awuzie hopes to be ready for the start of the season after tearing his ACL during Cincinnati's Week 8 loss to Cleveland last year. The 2017 second-round pick does not want to rush his recovery but will look to ramp up his running program later this month, and if the 27-year-old can get healthy he should be poised for a bigger role this season following Eli Apple's departure.
The Bengals fear Awuzie (knee) suffered a season-ending injury during Monday's loss to the Browns, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Awuzie is set for additional testing Tuesday, including an MRI on his right knee, to determine the severity of his injury. Initial reports suggest that Awuzie may have torn his ACL, an injury for which the 27-year-old would require season-ending surgery and face a difficult rehab process for the 2023 campaign.
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Bengals' Chidobe Awuzie: Spotted in leg cast postgame
Rotowire
Awuzie was seen wearing a leg cast after he injured his right knee in Monday's 32-13 loss to the Browns, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.
The exact nature of Awuzie's injury is still unclear, but Bengals coach Zac Taylor said postgame that the issue is "not great," per Jay Morrison of The Athletic. The 27-year-old has been Cincinnati's best cornerback since signing with the team ahead of the 2021 season, recording 33 tackles, five passes defended and a forced fumble over the first seven games of 2022. Awuzie's potential loss would be a massive blow to the team's secondary with fellow cornerbacks Eli Apple (hamstring) and Tre Flowers (hamstring) also dealing with injuries.
