Amarius Mims could have his NFL debut delayed due to injury. The rookie Bengals right tackle is dealing with a strained pectoral muscle, head coach Zac Taylor said on Monday. 
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Taylor noted (via Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer) Mims will not require surgery, but the first-rounder will nevertheless be out for “several weeks.” That means Mims will not take part in the Bengals’ remaining preseason contests, and his availability for Week 1 is now in question. Taylor did not rule out Mims being able to suit up for the season opener, though.
In any event, missed training camp and preseason reps will be critical for Mims. The Georgia alum flashed considerable potential during his college career, but injuries limited his time on the field to a major extent. The 6-7, 330-pounder had impressed to date in training camp, however, and the door was open to him winning the starting RT gig over free agent signing Trent Brown.
The latter was added on a one-year deal featuring incentives this offseason. Brown has made 100 appearances and 93 starts in his career, but his signing was known to be part of a wider strategy on the Bengals’ part of finding a long-term answer at right tackle. As expected, Jonah Williams departed on the open market, creating the need for a stopgap option to be added and a developmental contributor to be drafted.
Mims will no doubt take over a starting role at some point relatively soon, especially if he manages to recover quickly. For now, attention will turn to his rehab process and Browns’ readiness to handle first-team duties if needed at the start of the campaign.