Bengals Cornerback Trae Waynes Will Miss the Rest of the 2020 Season

Waynes signed a three-year, $42 million contract this offseason

CINCINNATI — Cornerback Trae Waynes will miss the rest of the 2020 season after suffering a pectoral injury during training camp according to Bengals head coach Zac Taylor.

Waynes had been doing some rehab work and there was hope that he would be able to return this year after his surgery in August, but that won't be the case.  

The 28-year-old didn't play a down this season after signing a three-year, $42 million contract with Cincinnati in March. 

"What he brings to the table is toughness, he's a really solid tackler, he's got good long speed, he can make plays on the ball, he seems like he has a really high football IQ," Taylor said in April. "There's some carryover there between what they've done and what Lou (Anarumo) does here. It's not exactly the same, but there's a lot of carryover in the terminology. So we just felt like he was a really good fit for us."

Waynes was one of eight unrestricted free agents that the Bengals signed this offseason. They were hoping to pair him with William Jackson III in hopes of shoring up one of the NFL's worst secondaries. 

Jessie Bates' emergence, along with free agents like Vonn Bell and Mackensie Alexander have brought stability to the secondary, even with Waynes out. 

The Bengals will have a decision to make with Jackson at the end of the season. The 2016 first-round pick is a free agent and will likely be looking for a bigger contract than the one Waynes received in March. 

If Cincinnati doesn't re-sign Jackson, then cornerback becomes one of their biggest offseason needs. 

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