La’el Collins says Bengals players reaching out to him played role in decision

Bengals players reached out to La’el Collins before the big deal in free agency.

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New Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle La’el Collins says the push by his new teammates played a big role in his decision to sign with the team.

We know Joe Burrow played a big role in recruiting Collins. And we also know Joe Mixon himself lobbied Bengals brass to get the move done.

But while meeting with the media this week, Collins revealed that roughly 10 current Bengals players reached out to him personally and that it helped him know Cincinnati was the place he wanted to be.

Not that Collins said he ever wanted to be anywhere else, given the no-brainer of a fit.

“The whole time I was optimistic we were going to get it done, Collins said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “I was really just trying to get a feel for my new home because I was very optimistic they were going to get it done. And we did. I couldn’t be (happier).”

Still, it’s interesting to hear that it wasn’t just big names like Burrow and Mixon involved in the process. Bengals players, as well as fans at a local mall, played a part in making the star tackle feel like the Bengals were the right choice.

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