Jonah Williams requests trade from Bengals after Orlando Brown signing
Cincinnati Bengals left tackle Jonah Williams has requested a trade following the acquisition of Orlando Brown in free agency, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Williams, a former first-round draft pick for the Bengals in 2019, was going to have to move to right tackle when the team signed Brown in free agency. Brown wouldn’t have agreed to a deal with the Bengals if it wasn’t to play left tackle. This is the main reason why the Kansas City Chiefs opted to move on from Brown because they wanted him to move to right tackle and he wasn’t interested in doing so.
It’s clear Williams feels similar to Brown in not wanting to move to right tackle and wants to find a new team where he can continue to play on the left side.
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When asked if Williams would consider moving to the right side, Bengals’ offensive line coach Frank Pollack laughed before responding to the question. Why? Because it was clear Cincinnati was going to make some changes on their line. This week it’s coming to fruition.
“I laugh because I’ve been in this league long enough to say we are not wedded to anything,” Pollack said in Indianapolis. “Tomorrow everything could change and who knows where everyone is going to be. That’s just the nature of the league. Everyone understands that. The league is ultra-competitive.”
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The Bengals exercised the fifth-year option on Williams before the 2022 season. If he plays this season in Cincinnati, it’s a prove-it year. The Bengals had not yet decided if they wanted to keep Williams in Cincinnati long term. Williams has started 42 games for the Bengals over the last three seasons. He’s a solid player when healthy but his height and weight hinder him at times.
In addition to being a better player at left tackle, Brown is singificantly bigger than Williams. Brown checks in at 6-foot-8 and 340 pounds while Williams is 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds. Size is especially important at tackle because the bigger the player is, the harder it is for a defensive lineman to move him.
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If Williams’ career is over in Cincinnati, it’s an unfortunate situation in how it ended. Williams suffered a discloated kneecap in the first round of the playoffs. He was unable to play in the divisional round win over the Buffalo Bills and the AFC championship loss at the Kansas City Chiefs.
When the Bengals made a splash in free agency on Wednesday night with signing Brown, it became clear Williams’ future in Cincinnati would be at right tackle. In order for Williams to go to another team, the Bengals have to agree to trade Williams. It’s unclear if the Bengals will grant Williams his wish and trade him. The Bengals continue to prioritize improving their offensive line for a second consecuctive season. Cincinnati has added five new offensive linemen in free agency over the last two seasons.
Quarterback Joe Burrow was sacked 41 times in 2022, the sixth-most in the NFL.
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