Super Bowl 2022: Despite injury, Bengals' C.J. Uzomah vows to play

Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah was carted off the field in the first quarter of the AFC Championship Game with a knee injury. He hasn’t been cleared to play in the Super Bowl, but he sounds like someone who won’t let anything stop him.

"To me, I’m like, I’m not missing the biggest game of my life. Like I’m not missing it," Uzomah said on Monday. "That’s my approach going into every day of rehab."

Uzomah suffered a sprained MCL after playing only nine snaps in Kansas City. He had tears in his eyes as he was carted off because he couldn’t finish the game.

The Bengals’ longest-tenured player on offense, Uzomah has been rehabbing around the clock to try to be ready for Sunday’s game against the Rams. He’s one of the few Bengals remaining from the franchise’s last playoff team. Uzomah was a rookie in 2015 when Cincinnati went 12-4 and won the division title.

"It’s the Super Bowl," he said. "I’m doing everything I can."

Uzomah has been working with Bengals director of rehab and performance Nick Cosgray and said he feels "really, really good."

When he was asked if he expects to play, he said, "In my mind, yes. But for the sake of everyone else, I’m just going to say day-to-day."

If he does play, how effective he will be remains to be seen, but he has been a valuable and vital part of the Bengals’ dynamic offense this season.

Defenses have game-planned to try to limit receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins and running back Joe Mixon. Uzomah was a nice security blanket for quarterback Joe Burrow.

Uzomah set career highs with 49 receptions for 493 yards and five touchdowns. In Cincinnati’s first two playoff games, he caught 13 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown.

After getting injured against Kansas City, Uzomah returned to the sideline on crutches to be there for his teammates in any way possible. He was elated that the Bengals won and was able to celebrate with the rest of the players.

Uzomah said later that night, he reflected on what he and the organization had gone through to reach this point.

"I went to bed with a smile on my face," he said. "We’re playing in the freaking Super Bowl. That is sick. That is so sick. I definitely had a little kid in me at the end of the night."

That’s why it’s going to be difficult to keep Uzomah from playing Sunday. He said he will continue to rehab tirelessly to make sure he’s ready.

"If I wake up and it’s a little sore, it doesn’t matter," he said. "Right when I get in the building, right when I put my feet on the ground, it’s go time. Let’s get this rehab going, let’s do everything I can to make sure I’m ready and available to play. That’s kind of where my mind is."