Reggie Nelson: Should The Bengals Bring Him Back?

The Bengals had it made last season. Their defense was clicking on all cylinders and the team was riding high. Another AFC North championship was won and the season was perfect. It was all good until the Wild Card game that still burns fresh in the minds of Bengals fans. Reggie Nelson left that game and never returned. Was that a foreshadowing of things to come?

Per SB Nation, Nelson was hurt in the first half of that wet and sloppy game. A teammate stepped on his ankle, while running a safety blitz. Like the warrior he’s turned into, Nelson finished the play and sacked Ben Roethlisberger. The injury was severe and he was in agonizing pain. He needed help getting to the locker room.

The loss of Nelson was a huge blow. He limits any big plays that are going down the field. Nelson has historically performed well against the Steelers and Big Ben. That’s why rumors of a stalemate in talks between Nelson and the Bengals are hard to believe.

Nelson enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career in 2015. He finished with eight interceptions, tied with Marcus Peters for the league lead. He also had 14 passes defended, 77 tackles and two recovered fumbles. What’s wrong with this picture? Why are the Bengals not making a move on Nelson?

When asked about the injury, via the Cincinnati Bengals site, Nelson was upbeat and straightforward. He doesn’t want that to be the last play in Bengals Orange and Black. He also stated that he wants to return.

“Most definitely not,” Nelson said recently. “They know that. Everybody knows that. I would love to be a Bengal. I did my part. I played football. It’s time to handle business and we’ll go from there.”

The Vikings, Buccaneers, Redskins and Falcons have all shown interest in Nelson. The Bengals may be deciding to move on from the Pro Bowl safety. In a tweet, Yahoo! Sports reporter Charles Robinson said that if Nelson tested the waters, they were done with him.

That wouldn’t be in the Bengals favor. Even though Nelson is getting older, he’s the same age as cornerback Adam Jones. Jones is coming off one of his most productive seasons as a Bengal. The franchise just tossed him a deal for $20 million over three years. Nelson was a bobbled catch away from leading the league in interceptions.

How’s the ankle sprain progressing?

“The ankle is good. It’s ready to go.”

With Nelson expressing the desire to come back and the injury healing, there seems to be no reason for the Bengals to keep Nelson waiting. But, then there’s the case of the secret denial.

If that’s truly the case, the Bengals may have decided to hitch their wagon to Shawn Williams. The speedy youngster showed flashes of potential, during his playing time. Cincinnati may be looking towards the future. Nelson has been a solid and dependable player in his years with the Bengals. Sooner or later, the page has to be turned. Turning the offer down may have sealed Nelson’s fate.

For the Bengals to say goodbye, on the basis of trying to achieve validation, it would be irrational. George Iloka, Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu were all in the free agent waters when the Bengals made offers. But with only so much cash to spend, Nelson may have missed the opportunity to stay.

Although the Bengals haven’t formally announced a separation from Nelson, all signs point to it being a done deal. Even with limited playing time, Reggie could be the veteran presence Shawn Williams needs. He could teach the fine art of intimidating the Steelers.

[Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images]