The Cincinnati Bengals rookie Joseph Ossai might miss the entire 2021 season with a meniscus injury in his knee. The team discovered the injury after he was being evaluated for a wrist issue following the game versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tom Pelissero from the NFL Network confirmed the news via Twitter.
#Bengals rookie DE Joseph Ossai is slated to have knee surgery this week for a meniscus injury that is feared to be season-ending, per source.
Brutal blow for Cincinnati and Ossai, a third-round pick who sacked Tom Brady and had five QB pressures in a stellar preseason debut.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 22, 2021
Cincinnati Bengals Rookie Joseph Ossai Likely Lost for Season
This is just brutal news for the Bengals. The team was counting on Ossai contributing in Week 1 of the regular season. Against the Buccaneers, Ossai had a fantastic debut and harassed quarterbacks the entire game. The performance was so solid that Pro Football Focus College had Ossai with top rookie performances of the preseason.
Top Preseason Rookie Performances, per @PFF_Mike
1. Patrick Surtain II, Broncos CB
2. Mac Jones, Patriots QB
3. Joseph Ossai, Bengals EDGE
4. Andre Cisco, Jaguars S
5. J. Owusu-Koramoah, Browns LBThe complete list ⬇⬇
— PFF College (@PFF_College) August 16, 2021
Ossai was having a fantastic camp in showing the ability to rush the passer from multiple angles and also dropping into coverage. This leaves the Bengals incredibly thin at the defensive end position, as fourth-round pick Cameron Sample is also dinged with a recent shoulder injury. In light of the rash of injuries, the team signed Noah Spence and his seven and a half sacks in 41 games to bolster the defensive end position.
The Bengals defense has been one of the most surprising units of the preseason thus far. The first-team defense has delivered some especially bright moments and has given up zero points through two games. Linebacker Logan Wilson recently noted, “We have guys at every position, and we have another year in this system, guys are flying around, being confident in what they’re doing and what they’re asked to do. Guys are flying around to make plays.”
The potential loss of Ossai for the season will put the Bengals defensive depth to the test early on. They hope recent additions along the defensive line can keep the ship afloat throughout the 2021 campaign. Ossai is still a young and ascending player. He can use the remainder of 2021 to recover and come back even stronger next year.
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