Alex

Cappa

The Bengals will be without to critical pieces to their offensive line as they take on a Kansas City defense that ranked 19th in QB pressure rate during the regular season. Joe Burrow fared well in the Divisional Round against the Bills without Cappa and Williams. He was sacked just once while getting the ball out quickly. Expect more of the same this week against the Chiefs.

Cappa went down with the ankle injury in Week 18 and has been out ever since. He doesn’t look likely to suit up for the AFC Championship game. The Bengals’ backup lineup did an incredible job keeping their quarterback safe in the Divisional Round. Joe Burrow took a single sack versus the Bills. A similar performance versus the Chiefs would be a major win for a team looking to avenge their Super Bowl loss from a year ago.

Joe Burrow enters the Divisional Round behind an offensive line decimated by injuries, facing a Buffalo defense with the NFL’s 14th highest pressure rate. Burrow last week against the Ravens was sacked four times while narrowly avoiding a handful of other sacks and facing pressure on nearly every second half drop back. Expect Burrow to pepper his short-area targets against the Bills.

Cappa went down with the ankle injury in Week 18 and was forced to miss the Bengals’ Wild Card win over the Ravens. All reports have him unlikely to return for the Divisional Round. With multiple starters on their offensive line expected to be sidelined, Joe Burrow could be under pressure throughout his matchup with the Bills.

Cappa had his left leg rolled up on by an opposing defender while he was dropping back in pass protection. A key player along Cincinnati’s offensive line, Cappa was signed by the Bengals to a four-year, $40 million contract this offseason. He was helped off the field by trainers and appears unlikely to return.

Head coach Zac Taylor acknowledged earlier in the week that it would be “tough” for Cappa to play in the Wild Card Round. The veteran right guard exited in the third quarter of last week’s win over the Ravens after his leg was rolled up on, and ruled out shortly after. A key member of the Bengals’ re-vamped offensive line, Cappa could be replaced by Max Scharping, who filled in for him last week.

Cappa was added to the active/PUP list earlier in the week but is now eligible to practice. The veteran guard who spent four seasons with the Buccaneers signed a four-year, $40 million contract with the Bengals this offseason in hopes of better protecting Joe Burrow in 2022.

Head coach Zac Taylor announced in late May that Cappa would miss a few weeks with a core muscle injury. Now almost two months removed from that report, Cappa still doesn’t appear to be ready for training camp. Another high-priced free agent brought in to solidify a porous offensive line, the Bengals invested four years and $40 million into Cappa, who spent the last four seasons with the Buccaneers. There’s no reason to believe Cappa’s injury is more severe than initially believed. He’s eligible to come off the PUP list at any time.

It’s not grave news for any Bengals stocks, but something worth monitoring as the team begins the march towards training camp. It would be ideal if Cappa was healthy throughout the offseason to build rapport with his new teammates on the offensive line. If the injury lingers past the anticipated timeline, there’s a small chance Cappa could be put on PUP in training camp.

The signing won’t be official until the official opening of free agency on March 16. Tom Brady will lose his standout starting right guard to Joe Burrow and the Bengals, who have plenty of cap space and are expected to make massive upgrades to their shoddy offensive line. Cincinnati’s offensive line was graded by Pro Football Focus as the league’s eighth worst pass blocking unit in 2021. Burrow was und near-constant duress, setting a record for most sacks taken in a season.