Super Bowl 2022: Bengals TE C.J. Uzomah is ‘not missing the biggest game of my life’ despite knee injury
Written by ABC Audio ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on February 7, 2022
C.J. Uzomah is leaving no stone unturned in his efforts to play in Super Bowl LVI. The Bengals tight end played in just nine snaps of Cincinnati’s eventual AFC Championship win over the Chiefs before departing the game in the first quarter due to a knee injury. An MRI revealed that Uzomah suffered a sprained MCL, which has opened the door for him to play on Sunday.
“I’m feeling great,” he said during Cincinnati’s first Super Bowl media availability on Monday. “It’s been a grind. It’s been a lot of early mornings, late nights of just rehabbing and fighting through some stuff. But I feel really good. I feel really, really good.”
When asked about the possibility of him being healthy enough to play in the Super Bowl, Uzomah did say that he is willing to play through some bumps and bruises.
“It’s the Super Bowl. I’m doing everything I can,” he said. “I don’t really care too much about how I’m feeling, to be honest, when I’m out there. … I’m not missing the biggest game of my life. I’m not missing it. That’s my approach going into it every day of rehab. If I wake up and I’m like, ‘Oh man, it’s a little sore,’ it doesn’t matter. Right when I get in that building, right when I put my feet on the ground, it’s go time. Let’s get this rehab going. Let’s do everything I can to make sure that I’m ready and available to play, so that’s kind of where my mind is.”
Uzomah was then pressed on that answer and asked directly if he’ll play.
“Day to day,” he said with a smile, seemingly not wanting to officially tip his hand too early. “My mind, my mind, is yes. But for the sake of everyone else, I’m just going to say day to day.”
The veteran tight end is in the midst of a career year with the Bengals, notching highs across the board in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. He’s fourth on the team in receiving yards and tied for third on Cincinnati’s roster with five receiving touchdowns, so this is an important weapon for Joe Burrow as the Bengals look to claim its first Super Bowl title in franchise history.
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The post Super Bowl 2022: Bengals TE C.J. Uzomah is ‘not missing the biggest game of my life’ despite knee injury first appeared on CBS Sports.
