Insider notes on La’el Collins: Ex-Bengals OT's return from injury likely in 2023, Patriots interested

So, what’s next for La'el Collins? The Cincinnati Bengals cut offensive lineman La'el Collins this week from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and the eight-year veteran is now a free agent. How will his future pan out before he takes the field again?

Collins, who signed a three-year deal with the Bengals in 2022 after spending 7 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, played well for the club last season until he was lost for good after tearing an ACL during a Week 16 contest against New England.

Unable to start the season due to the injury, he was on the outside looking in after the Bengals signed Orlando Brown in March to be their left tackle and moved disgruntled lineman Jonah Williams to the right side.

Head coach Zac Taylor said of releasing Collins:

“There’s never a great time to do it and it sucks when you have to tell a guy that.”

The release of Collins freed up close to $6 million in salary cap space for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Now that he’s on the open market, sources tell me Collins could be ready to play as early as this November, perhaps even October. Depending on the length of his absence, it is possible Collins files an injury grievance for time missed while rehabbing his injury.

The New England Patriots have inquired about Collins and are just one of the teams potentially interested in the services of the versatile offensive lineman once he is ready for action.