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The Cincinnati Bengals took a huge step forward and another one right back with Joseph Ossai during the team’s first preseason game.
Ossai was a massive breakout, tallying sacks and pressures at a notable clip while looking like a starter during the team’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Then he suffered an injury in the second half and left the game.
According to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, the initial thought within the team is that Ossai will be back for the season opener despite the wrist injury:
“Ossai was immense on the edge before he hurt this wrist colliding with fellow rusher Hodge at the quarterback on his 22nd and last play. No bones shattered and the initial sense is he’s going to be OK and he’ll be back in time for the opener, given the condensed preseason. The finale is in just 13 days.”
It wasn’t uncommon to see Bengals fans online begging the team to get Ossai out of the game during the second half of the first preseason game so as to not risk him.
On first pass, the injury seemed like the worst-case scenario after the team seemingly found a surprise starter via a third-round prospect. But if he’s truly 100 percent by the start of the regular season, it would seem the Bengals and Ossai dodged a major bullet.
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