Bengals place Geno Atkins on IR with lingering shoulder injury

The Bengals placed defensive tackle Geno Atkins on injured reserve, per a club announcement. The veteran has played through his right shoulder injury all year long, but he’ll need surgery and time off in order to fully recuperate.

The injury may also mark the end of Atkins’ time with the Bengals. Atkins played in just eight games and, even when he was healthier earlier in the season, he voiced frustration about his role. The Bengals have the perennial Pro Bowler under contract through 2022, but his $14.8M cap hit for 2021 might not make sense for Cincy.

Atkins has eight Pro Bowls to his credit to go along with the second-highest sack total in franchise history. Earlier in the year, he watched his longtime counterpart Carlos Dunlap — the No. 1 all-time Bengals sack leader — get shipped out to the Seahawks. The Bengals are clearly in need of another reboot and the 33-year-old probably wouldn’t fit the budget.

Atkins’ forgettable 2020 will end with zero sacks and zero starts. He’ll look to add to his 75.5 career sacks in 2021 — perhaps in another uniform.