LOS ANGELES — D.J. Reader spent his first 4 seasons with the Texans, and he had a option to make when he grew to become a free agent in 2020.
Many groups confirmed curiosity in Reader, however he picked the Bengals. That may have appeared an odd alternative because the Bengals had been one of many worst groups in soccer. Positive, the four-year, $53 million contract Cincinnati provided had rather a lot to do along with his resolution. However so did the very fact the Bengals had the No. 1 choose and he knew who they have been going to get with it.
“Realizing they have been going to get Joe Burrow gave me confidence that I used to be going to play with a great quarterback,” Reader stated. “I had seen him play. I simply wanted to determine what sort of individual he was and he’s wonderful. I made the precise alternative.”
That alternative appears mighty smart now. Reader will line up at nostril sort out for the Bengals on Sunday in Tremendous Bowl LVI. He’s the run-stopping power in the course of the Cincinnati protection.
Within the Bengals’ divisional win over the Titans, Cincinnati held star working again Derrick Henry to 62 yards on 20 carries.
“Run at who??!?!” Reader posted on Twitter.
“He was Superman,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor stated. “If you happen to’re going to single out one man for his or her efficiency, D.J. Reader is actually deserving of that. He set the tone.”
The Bengals will want Reader to set the tone once more Sunday. The Rams don’t have Henry within the backfield, however Cam Akers and Sony Michel give them a stable 1-2 punch within the working sport.
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Reader’s first season with the Bengals led to October 2020 when he suffered a season-ending quad damage. He bounced again this season to have a monster yr within the center for the Bengals.
“That is what you dream about as a child,” Reader stated. “You at all times inform your dad and mom and all people round you that you just’re going to play within the Tremendous Bowl. You get within the league and also you understand how onerous that’s, how onerous that dream really is. It’s one thing you combat for every single day. Each crew goes into yearly wanting to do that.”
Earlier within the playoffs, Reader spoke about how everybody was “sleeping” on the Bengals they usually felt disrespected. He’s unsure how anybody can overlook them now.
“We’re within the Tremendous Bowl, so I hope folks respect us,” Reader stated. “We don’t actually care about that. We’ve at all times acquired a chip on our shoulder. We wish to play. Guys are aggressive they usually wish to exit and play. That’s the type of crew we’ve acquired.”
