Former Bengals outside linebacker Rashad Jeanty worked out with the Miami Dolphins on Monday, according to Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Jeanty started 15 games in 2008, posting 96 total tackles, as the strong-side linebacker before the Bengals drafted USC's Rey Maualuga in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Maualuga was named the starting outside linebacker before the season began, pushing Jeanty into a backup role on defense with increased playing time on special teams.
His season came to an abrupt end during the opening kickoff of the team's 2009 Wild Card game when Jeanty fractured his fibula against the New York Jets.
And Jeanty would become just one of many examples on why the Bengals medical staff is often under fire.
While he was a restricted free agent last year, Jeanty visited the Miami Dolphins. He failed their physical, told by their medical staff that he had ligament damage and would need significant ankle surgery to stabilize the league. The linebacker signed a one-year tender worth $1.176 million that was offered by the Bengals and subsequently had surgery on his leg. The irony is that a month before all of this went down, Jeanty told Fox Sports' Alex Marvez that he wouldn't need surgery. Egg drips from the faces of the Bengals medical staff.
Jeanty remained with the team to rehabilitate through the offseason. When he failed his physical a week before the regular season, the team waived him in the "failed physical category."
David Canter, Jeanty's agent, released a statement:
"It’s tremendously disappointing on the way this has been handled," [Jeanty’s agent, David] Canter said. "We don’t see how the Cincinnati Bengals can do this without any inclination that this was even a possibility. It’s a tad shocking how he was released and was done in a disheartening, callous and unfair manner. The only reason why he isn’t healthy and wasn’t able to pass the physical is because they failed to fully diagnose and mistreated the injury."
Jeanty is also scheduled to workout with the Jets on Wednesday and the Seattle Seahawks later this week.