Bengals right tackle La’el Collins out for season with ACL tear

CINCINNATI (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER) - The Cincinnati Bengals will be without starting right tackle La’el Collins for the rest of the season as an MRI revealed he tore his ACL and MCL against the Patriots, a source told our media partners at The Cincinnati Enquirer on Sunday.

Collins, 29, started 15 games for the Bengals in his first season with the team. After undergoing the initial ACL test on the field, the belief was Collins’ ACL was intact. Following the game, Collins told The Enquirer he dislocated his kneecap, but it popped back into place.

He is expected to make a full recovery and the timeline for his return is seven months.

With Collins sidelined for the remainder of the year, the Bengals will likely rely on Hakeem Adeniji to start in his place. Cincinnati has two games left in the regular season and the team has already clinched a playoff berth.

The Bengals had the same five starting offensive linemen for 15 games. Collins signed a three-year deal with the Bengals in March.