What To Expect From Bengals First-Round Pick Amarius Mims After Trent Brown Injury

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said in his postgame press conference that things didn’t look good for starting right tackle Trent Brown.

And today, the worst was confirmed.

Brown suffered a torn patellar tendon in his right knee in the second quarter of Monday’s 38-33 loss to the Washington Commanders, according to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Bengals Rookie Amarius Mims Allowed 1 Sack, 2 Pressures in Debut

The injury will require surgery, forcing Brown to miss the rest of the season while jump-starting the Amarius Mims era in Cincinnati as the rookie first-round pick slides into the starting role.

“I just hate seeing a brother go down, and really, he’s like an older brother, someone who took me up under his wing since I’ve been here,” Mims said Monday night after Brown emerged from the training room and broke the news to him.

Bengals RT Trent Brown to undergo season-ending surgery to repair torn patellar tendon he suffered in loss to Commanders, per @RapSheet https://t.co/GgUvIUf5h9 pic.twitter.com/CgIQybBeMY

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) September 24, 2024

“I hate that it happened, and I wish we could have finished it off for him,” Mims added.

The No. 18 pick in this year’s draft, Mims had just returned from his own injury that had sidelined the rookie for more than a month and ended his bid to win the starting job coming out of training camp.

Mims suffered a pectoral injury in the preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Aug. 10 and had been unable to be a full participant in practice until Saturday.

The Bengals made Mims inactive for the first two games, but he dressed for his first professional game Monday night. And he made his NFL debut on a 2nd-and-5 play with 10:41 left in the second quarter when he reported as eligible.

Running back Zack Moss ran behind Brown and Mims on the right side of the line for a five-yard gain and a first down.

Mims returned to the sideline, only to be summoned into action five plays later when Brown went down with the injury and had to be carted off the field.

“It’s the league, man,” Mims said. “You have to have that next-man-up mentality, but you don’t have to like it. I hate to see somebody like Trent go down. I just have to keep preparing every week and trying to get this team our first win.”

The Bengals signed Brown to a one-year, $4.8 million contract in March as insurance in case the draft didn’t fall their way. Or, even if it did, in case the tackle they selected in the first round wasn’t ready to start the season.

It felt as though Monday’s game was going to be a chance for Mims to get his feet wet and that he would have a real chance to slide into the starting role next week at Carolina.

Brown’s injury removes all doubt about whether that will happen.

Mims played the final 33 snaps against the Commanders, allowing one sack and two pressures on 14 true pass sets, according to Pro Football Focus.

“He seemed like he had been there before,” Bengals left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. said. “He was super calm. That’s who he is, and that’s why we took him in the first round. He’s got all the intangibles and abilities to beat a great offensive tackle in this league.

“I’m super proud of him,” Orlando Brown Jr. continued. “He’s incredibly humble. He’s come to work every single day focused and hungry. So only good things are going to come from that when you’re putting in the time.”