‘Unfinished business’ brought Sample back to Bengals

Sample felt like he had some “unfinished business” to complete with the Bengals, and the chance to stay with the team that selected him in the second round of the 2019 draft was an easy call. Now he wants to show the Bengals they made a good decision betting on him again, as he remains the one constant in an oft-changing tight end room the past few seasons.

“I’ve played a lot of football for them and, you know, we’ve had success,” Sample said this week after participating in Organized Team Activities. “And for me, it was just like a no-brainer because the goal is to win the Super Bowl, and, you know, last year, we didn’t finish it, the year before we were even closer, so I think a lot of guys have that hunger, and we all have that kind of same mentality. So that’s definitely like the culture and the team that I want to be a part of.”

Sample had been through injuries before but no major surgeries prior to injuring his right knee in a Week 2 loss at Dallas. He had been carted off the field at training camp in August, but that turned out to fortunately only be a sprain and he worked his way back a couple weeks later.

The only other injury he had been through was an ankle injury that put him on injured reserve to finish his rookie season after nine games in 2019. Sample played all 37 possible games in 2020-2021 but missing so much of his final guaranteed season led to a lot of uncertainty.

“The goal is always to have a good season and, you know, let things play out, and so only playing one game, we kind of knew we were at the mercy of you know, whatever,” Sample said. “So, you know, I’m happy to back with the Bengals, and they obviously believed in me to bring me back, and they know what I can do. So, I’m excited to be back and just working back to get to where I was and go from there.”

The Bengals took a chance on Sample when they drafted him, too. Many thought the organization, in coach Zac Taylor’s first draft, over-reached in taking him in the second round when he might have been available in the third or fourth rounds.

And once Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase came along in 2020 and 2021, the offense gradually shifted to one requiring better catching and pass-blocking tight ends. Sample has always been known best for his run-blocking ability, but he had 40 catches for 349 yards in 2020. The next season he was targeted just 15 times and had 11 catches for 81 yards, and his snap percentage was almost cut in half from 81 percent in 2020 to 42 percent in 2021.

Sample spent last offseason working to show he could still play a big role in the offense, and the injury derailed his opportunity to prove it. The running game did take a dip, but Hayden Hurst kept the tight end position a productive one for Burrow to target.

“It was kind of a first for me,” Sample said. “You know, I’ve obviously been banged up here and there, but that was my first major surgery. So, I mean, there were definitely ups and downs. It was a long time without football. To lead up to the season, have a great offseason and, you know, play one game and then come out and have that happen obviously sucks, but it was good to get the surgery done. And, you know, I was rehabbing here while the season was going on so I was still able to be around guys and be around football, which is nice. And then obviously, I’m excited to be back and playing and being around the guys and feeling closer to myself now so it’s been good.”

With the drop in playing time Sample saw in 2021 and the uncertainty coming back from injury, most expected the Bengals to move on from him this offseason. He didn’t re-sign until April 14, just a couple days after completing a workout with the Cardinals.

Sample said it wasn’t until a little before that time he was able to run and do drills. He’s been able to participate in just about everything this offseason workout program, which is mostly on-air stuff anyway, and he was in the 7-on-7 drills the Bengals started up this week with OTAs. However, he’s still doing extra rehab work to continue strengthening his muscles around the knee and won’t be fully cleared until training camp, he said.

By then, Sample hopes to be in top shape and able to compete for a bigger role.

“It’s just knocking the rust off, getting back in 7-on-7 or blocking stuff or catching or whatever it is, just kind of getting back and getting my legs under me,” Sample said. “I haven’t been worrying about the knee, but just haven’t done it in so long, so it’s just knocking the rust off, doing the movement again and just getting back to things and getting in shape in the summer and ready for camp.”