Could Geno Atkins return to the Bengals?

After the Bengals lost Larry Ogunjobi in the playoffs, they were interested in bringing back franchise legend Geno Atkins. Jessie Bates advocated for the move as well. However, the defensive tackle’s shoulder was still not fully healed.

But could that reunion happen sometime this offseason?

Atkins was cut by the team in March of 2021, after barely playing during the 2020-21 season on account of said injury. And he never signed with another team. Further, there is no indication that there are any hard feelings between the two sides.

In terms of fit, Atkins is exactly what the team needs. He would add depth to the defensive line as well as an occasional boost in the pass rush. Despite his age (he just turned 34) and recent injury history, there is good reason to believe that a (relatively) healthy Atkins would be quite effective as a situational player.

The Bengals great would have the added motivation of playing for the best team of his career and also surpassing former teammate Carlos Dunlap for first place on the franchise’s career sack list. Lastly, he could increase his Hall of Fame chances with a couple more productive seasons on a contender.

Of course, as John Sheeran noted on our show, Atkins seems to be enjoying retirement and spending time with his two children, both of whom are just toddlers. Further, he may not be interested in suffering more injuries at this point in his life. We debate the topic in the video below:

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