Awuzie will determine his readiness based on how he’s feeling, but he’s just glad to be inching closer.
“Just thanking God, bless him that I’m able to feel somewhat normal out there, and, you know, I’ve been with the guys playing around in the locker room, in the meeting rooms locked in, getting to where I can fit in,” Awuzie said. “But now actually being able to get on the field with my brothers, it’s just a great feeling.”
The seventh-year cornerback started easing into 11-on-11s by entering for just one rep and then coming right back out. He said that while it didn’t seem like much, it was still more than he gets from other work off to the side because the full team drills help bring him up to game speed.
Awuzie’s first two reps Monday came against Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase. He said he just needs six snaps in a row to know he’s comfortable.
“In this game, you never really are 100 percent, so, if I get close to that and I’m just not getting any complications after putting plays in a row, then I’ll feel confident that I’m able to go out there and make some plays,” Awuzie said.
Getting into team drills was an important step, but Awuzie also has been doing some extra stuff he normally wouldn’t be involved in on special teams. He was helping in punt coverage Monday. Other days he’s run routes with the receivers, and he’s even taken some turns returning kicks.
Awuzie said he’s interested in whatever he can do to catch up after all the time he missed last season and this offseason. For him, it’s just about getting himself moving in different ways.
“I’m the type of player that you know, if I feel like I can move, I guess that’s enough for me,” Awuzie said.
Awuzie said he keeps thinking back to 2021 in his first season with the Bengals when he injured his foot and missed the Broncos game and then was out all week of practice leading up to a game against Baltimore but got cleared on gameday and played. His job was to follow Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, and he limited Brown to five catches for 44 yards on nine targets.
That’s something he remembers in this process as a reminder he doesn’t need a ton of time to get ready if he is feeling good enough to play.
“Honestly, like, after four months, I was very confident,” Awuzie said. “I was like, ‘Okay, if we had to play a game right now I can play,’ but I learned throughout the process that there is time you have to put in, reps you have to take and even now, like I always heard about this mental hurdle. There are some mental things, you can psych yourself out, but I’ve been blessed with great people around me in this locker room, great trainers and people who have been through it, doctors, my parents, everybody just continually encouraging me. I would say the toughest part is the mental hurdle.”
Asked if he’s feeling optimistic he can play the opener or that Week 1 would be even a realistic possibility for him, Awuzie said “anything’s realistic.”
Joe Burrow came back from his 2020 ACL tear in an even quicker period of time, but Awuzie has seen others who were injured around the same time as him and aren’t as far along. Others have taken a full year to return to the field.
“But I know myself,” Awuzie said. “You know, it’s kind of hard to do anything. I just know when I know, I’ll be out there.”
The 28-year-old said it would be symbolic if he made his return at Cleveland, where the Bengals open the season, considering that was where he suffered the injury. That was the first thing he thought of when the schedule came out, and Awuzie recalls talking with defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo about that as well.
Awuzie said he will keep in mind that it’s a long season and not rush anything, but whenever he can contribute at his usual level, he will play.
“The Browns are a good team,” Awuzie said. “I don’t want to put any goals on myself. Obviously, that would be a blessing for me to be out there. But I’m not going to try to rush things either. So I’m just gonna play it day by day.”
SATURDAY’S GAME
Bengals at Commanders, 6:05 p.m., Ch. 12, 22, Paramont +; 1530, 102.7, 104.7
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