The Cincinnati Bengals have had a hectic past week, as they have been forced to adapt on the fly after finding out star quarterback Joe Burrow would miss three months after undergoing surgery on a toe injury he suffered in Week 2. That has forced backup quarterback Jake Browning into action, as he’s set to start in place of Burrow for the duration of his absence.
While all eyes are on the team’s preparation for their Week 3 contest against the Minnesota Vikings, there was another piece of news that emerged on Friday that caught the attention of Bengals fans. That’s because one of their former wide receivers, Mohamed Sanu, made a big decision on the future of his NFL career.
Mohamed Sanu Officially Retires After 10-Year NFL Career
Sanu initially broke into the league with the Bengals as a third-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Over time, he became a key piece of their offense, with his best season coming in 2014 when he caught 56 passes for 790 yards and five touchdowns. After the 2015 campaign, Sanu would sign a five-year, $32.5 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency.
During his time with the Falcons, Sanu continued to put up solid numbers as a secondary wide receiver, and he nearly helped them win a Super Bowl in 2016 when he hauled in 59 receptions for 653 yards and four touchdowns. In 2019, he ended up getting traded to the team that beat the Falcons in Super Bowl LI, the New England Patriots, but he ended up getting released ahead of the 2020 season.
To close out his career, Sanu would spend time with the San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, and Miami Dolphins. While he hasn’t taken the field since 2021, Sanu has never officially retired, but that changed on Friday, as the former Rutgers Scarlet Knights star revealed that he is closing the book on his playing career and transitioning into the world of sports media and coaching.
“After 10+ years in the NFL, my playing chapter is closing,” Sanu wrote in a post on X. “Grateful for every coach, teammate & fan. Excited to give back through coaching & share the game in a new way with the Facts Over Stats Podcast. The journey continues…”
Bengals Hoping to Continue Perfect Start with Week 3 Win Over Vikings
While Sanu didn’t dive into his coaching plans, he did reveal that he is starting a new podcast, “Facts Over Stats,” which he will be hosting alongside Mohamed Jabbie. There’s no doubt Sanu put together a solid NFL career, and while he hasn’t played in the NFL in a while, he can officially ride off into the sunset and move on to the next phase of his career.
As for the Bengals, their attention is fully on their upcoming meeting with the Vikings. Making this matchup a bit more intriguing is the fact that Minnesota will also be without its starting quarterback, as it will be turning to Carson Wentz while J.J. McCarthy recovers from an ankle injury. With kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m. ET, all eyes will be on Cincinnati to see if they can continue their perfect start to the season.