For the second year in a row, the New York Jets signed the fan favorite from the Cincinnati Bengals.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Jets signed CJ Ouzoma to a three-year, $24 million contract.
According to sources, former Bengals TE coach CJ Uzoma is set to sign a three-year, $24 million contract with the New York Jets.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2022
This is a shock for Bengals fans. Uzoma, an eighth-year player, quickly became one of the most popular and charismatic players during the team’s run at Super Bowl 56. He started the “Why not?” game. the move is still in preseason and shone as central leaders in the locker room.
In the AFC Championship game, Uzoma appeared to have injured his knee very badly. A week later, he tossed his knee pad into the air during the team’s Super Bowl rally and signaled that he would indeed wear the suit. Of course, Uzoma played 49 snaps in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
The further the Bengals got into the playoffs, the more the world learned about Uzoma. He thrived on the Good Morning Football program and received a team award for his collaboration with the media. That he’s about to enter the much larger market in New York is great for his personality.
For Bengals, this is definitely disappointing. The team hoped to keep Uzoma, and either they outbid him in a crazy tight market, or he bought into what the Jets were selling him.
In seven years with the Bengals, Uzoma had 1,591 receiving yards and 13 receiving touchdowns in 163 receptions. Last season, he had career-highs in all three categories with 493 yards, five touchdowns and 49 receptions.
The tight end is badly needed by the Bengals now as Drew Sample is the only remaining player with significant playing experience and only one year left on his rookie contract. It’s entirely possible that the team is looking for an immediate replacement in free agency and is also investing in a mid-round draft pick to rebuild the positional group.
Uzoma was instrumental in Cincinnati’s deepest postseason run in a generation. He will now look to revive another last-placed team, as he did last year.