After the past several seasons, the Cincinnati Bengals have developed one of the more hostile rivalries in the National Football League. After several tremendous showdowns since the beginning of the Joe Burrow Era in 2020, any competition between the two teams typically yields an absurd amount of trash talk over social media culminating in nickel cornerback Mike Hilton christening the Kansas City home stadium “Burrowhead” two seasons ago. The rivalry will only continue to grow as the two elite quarterbacks burrow and Kansas City star Patrick Mahomes continue to make names for themselves.
AFC West Rivals Wants to Join Bengals to Put Down Kansas City
After Kansas City handily put down the Baltimore Ravens, there was significant chatter around the league both congratulating the new AFC Champions but also groaning that the most annoying team in the NFL will play in another big game. No one put better words to that series of emotions that Las Vegas Raiders offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor when he took to twitter on Monday morning.
You can call me a hater idc I don’t like the chiefs at all…we beat them this year yeah cool but I want to beat them when it matters. Don’t care who comments on this players, fans idc congrats to them for making another Super Bowl but I hope I get the opportunity to beat you when…
— Jermaine Eluemunor (@TheMainShow_) January 29, 2024
The right tackle was drafted in the fifth round out of Texas A&M in 2017 by the Baltimore Ravens but has spent the past three seasons with Kansas City’s ardent division rival: the Las Vegas Raiders. Obviously Kansas City has won most of the matchups in that span but there is certainly no love lost between those two teams as Eluemunor clearly boasts the devastating loss that Las Vegas delivered to Kansas City late in the season. The right tackle clearly wants to go to a playoff contender and there are really only two possibilist for him: Baltimore who has two elite offensive tackles locked down or the Cincinnati Bengals.
After his poor performance and his contract situation, Cincinnati right tackle Jonah Williams is almost a certainty to land with another team next season in free agency. That opens a massive void at right tackle that the team will undoubtedly need to fill this offseason and Eluemunor making this comment right before the start of free agency is like a homing beacon to the biggest interconference rival to Kansas City. While he clearly would love to jump ship to protect Burrow’s right side for him, there is always the question as to how well he will fit.
Last season, Eluemunor played 905 snaps for Las Vegas with the majority of that at the right tackle position although he was able to slot in at left tackle due to injuries. In 552 passing situations, he allowed 6 sacks and 28 total pressures for a pass block win rate of just under 95%. For a Cincinnati team that has struggled tremendously over the past few seasons, that would be a remarkable number that would improve the offensive line tremendously. Eluemunor is ranked the 36th in overall score amongst offensive tackles according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).
While my opinion has been for the team to draft a right tackle to prepare for the future, Eluemunor would be an excellent player to bring in to start right now and allow a young tackle to get experience before throwing them to the wolves. Cincinnati has been in desperate need of a starting right tackle for the past five years and a mutual hatred of their greatest conference foe seems like the perfect way to begin a partnership.
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