Did Dre Kirkpatrick just confirm Andre Smith is returning to Bengals?

The Bengals’ offensive line is in a questionable position heading into the 2017 season. There’s hope Jake Fisher and Cedric Ogbuehi will develop into the team’s starting right and left tackles (respectively) of the future. But, both showed little to instill confidence in their starting ability for 2017.

As of now, it’s believed that Fisher will take on the starting right tackle job and Ogbuehi the starting left tackle job. But, could the Bengals be bringing back a familiar face to help add a boost to the line?

Yesterday, we wrote about the possibility of Andre Smith returning to Cincinnati. We also debated the idea back in February, too.

And, when Dre Kirkpatrick, who re-signed with the team on a five-year deal on Thursday, saw our article, he seemed to think it was going to be happening.

He even said he believes Smith will be able to stay healthy for this coming season, something he was unable to do in 2016 as he lasted four games with the Minnesota Vikings before landing on Injured Reserve for the rest of the year. Smith’s injury was to his arm and it required surgery.

Of course, there’s no way for anyone to know if Smith will be able to make it through the 2017 season healthy. He was often injured during his time in Cincinnati, too. A triceps injury back in 2014 was actually what drove the Bengals to go out and sign Eric Winston off the street toward the end of the 2014 season. He’s been with the Bengals ever since and re-signed with the team on Friday for the second consecutive offseason.

But, it appears the former Alabama star cornerback wants to see his fellow member of the Crimson Tide return to Cincinnati.

Will Smith be making a return? The Bengals are already set to get a seventh round compensatory pick in this year’s NFL Draft due to losing him last offseason to the Vikings. Could we have another Michael Johnson situation on our hands?