It might not be a very Merry Christmas for the Cincinnati Bengals. According to Dov Kleiman, star offensive lineman La'el Collins was hit with a devastating injury update and is expected to miss the rest of the season. Collins reportedly sustained both a torn ACL and MCL during the Week 16 win over the New England Patriots and will require surgery to repair the injury. Thus, he won't be available during the playoffs, which is a major concern for Joe Burrow and the rest of the offense.

Collins got off to a slow start to his Bengals tenure, and Joe Burrow paid the price early, getting sacked 13 times in his first two games this season. The Bengals offensive line figured things out after that, and have been a productive unit since, with the Bengals one of the hottest teams in football during the second half of the season.

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La'el Collins was atop the Bengals' depth chart at right tackle. Now, Hakeem Adenji figures to move into the starting lineup, unless the Bengals opt to shift someone else over to the right side and elevate another player. The Bengals have a bunch of injuries to their OL as it stands, however. with the likes of D'Ante Smith, Jackson Carman, and Ben Brown all sidelined.

Losing Collins is a big blow for the Bengals offense, especially in terms of protecting Burrow as he looks to maintain his strong run. Since Week 8, the Bengals haven't surrendered more than two sacks in a single game. During that stretch, Cincinnati has a 7-1 record.

Hopefully, Collins can get his knee issues sorted and make it back in time for the 2023 NFL season.