Bengals' Zac Taylor optimistic on progress of injured C.J. Uzomah

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Cincinnati tight end C.J. Uzomah tried to send a message that he wouldn’t miss the Super Bowl by taking the brace off his left knee and tossing it behind him onto the Bengals’ logo during a pep rally.

His coach said Wednesday he’s optimistic about Uzomah’s progress even as the Bengals kept the tight end out of practice.

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Zac Taylor says Uzomah likely will work at practice Thursday with the Bengals taking advantage of having three days of work left to see where the veteran is. Uzomah played only nine snaps in the AFC championship game before hurting his knee. He caught 49 passes for 493 yards and five touchdowns in the best season of his career, and he has 13 catches for 135 yards this postseason.

"Again, optimistic with where he’s at," Taylor said. "Team has handled it really well. We try to keep our scheduling as consistent as possible. And you know, so we’re midway through our first day here, and our guys have handled it really well."

Cincinnati Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah reacts during the Super Bowl LVI Opening Night Fan Rally, Monday, Feb. 7, 2022, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

PRINCE’S RETURN

Isaiah Prince has no regrets about the difficult decision he made last season.

Opting out because of the coronavirus pandemic still wasn’t easy for the Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle.

"Of course, I was very hurt," Prince said. "I believe that was probably one of the most trying times in my life. Looking back at my career, I don’t think I’ve ever really missed a game, a practice — not in college.

"So for me, missing my first season (with the Bengals), that was kind of devastating for