Cincinnati Bengals place five players on PUP list heading into training camp

Training camp is only a few short days away for NFL teams across America. Plenty of franchises have released their list of players they have decided to place on the physically unable to perform list. The Cincinnati Bengals placed five players on the PUP list on Saturday afternoon: linebacker Joe Bachie, guard Alex Cappa, defensive end Khalid Kareem, running back Samaje Perine, and safety Brandon Wilson. Offensive tackle La’El Collins has been placed on the active/non-football injury list.

A few things to note about the physically unable to perform list. All the players on it can be activated at any time. There is no time limit on how long the player must be on the list in the preseason.

Cappa suffered a core muscle injury during OTAs. The talented right guard is a major upgrade at the position for the Bengals’ franchise. Tom Brady tried to sway him to come back to Tampa Bay for what could be his final season, but he opted to join one of the game’s brightest young stars in Cincinnati signal-caller Joe Burrow. They desperately needed to upgrade their offensive line this offseason and they did just that.

The Bengals brought in four new offensive linemen via free agency, two of them being Cappa and offensive tackle La’El Collins. The upgrades were necessary for the survival of their franchise quarterback. Cincinnati’s offensive line allowed 70 sacks in the 2021 season, including the regular season and playoffs, the third most in NFL history.

Whatever injury issues are plaguing Cappa and whatever non-football injury issues are bothering Collins, the Bengals will need them to get resolved sometime before the regular season starts. Their health and availability is essential for the survival of one of the best quarterbacks in the game today.

Former Oklahoma star Samaje Perine landing on the PUP list comes as a bit of a surprise, considering he went through voluntary OTAs without any reported injuries. He played 16 games for the Bengals last season — backing up Joe Mixon. Perine racked up 442 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 82 total touches. He’ll likely have to battle it out with former Michigan standout Chris Evans for the backup role in training camp.

The Cincinnati Bengals open up their training camp on Wednesday, July 27.