2 min read • February 10, 2022
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Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah returned to practice Thursday, while Rams tight end Tyler Higbee did not practice as both tight ends recover from MCL sprains they suffered in the Conference Championship round.
Uzomah was listed as "limited practice" which could mean anything from taking one rep to missing only one rep in practice.
ProFootballDoc, Dr. David Chao, said he expects Uzomah to play, but has serious doubts about his mobility on routes and ability to block.
During the Bengals' fan rally last week, Uzomah dramatically took off a knee brace and threw it before taking a lap around the stadium to high-five fans.
Uzomah told reporters Thursday that the brace was a prop.
"During his lap around the stadium, Uzomah had a noticeable limp on his injured left leg," Chao said. "If this were a normal week, not the Super Bowl, he would likely not be able to play."
Higbee has not practiced since suffering his right knee MCL sprain against San Francisco, but Chao said he also expects Higbee to play.
"By video, Higbee's MCL sprain was less severe and he should be slightly more mobile than Uzomah in the game," Chao said.
Higbee's backup, Kendall Blanton, performed well filling in for the injured tight end against the 49ers. Blanton had five catches for 57 yards and caught his first career touchdown the previous week against Tampa Bay.
Blanton is a better receiving option than Drew Sample, Uzomah's backup, who is primarily used as a blocking tight end.
Expect to see Sample in on more short-yardage situations because of Uzomah's decreased ability to run block, Chao said, adding that the Rams will likely be able to use Higbee and Blanton more interchangeably.
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