Pat Sims is back, and Bengals fans didn’t even get a chance to really miss him. After waiving Sims on Saturday, the Bengals are set to re-sign the defensive tackle, according to Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer. It is expected that defensive tackle Josh Tupou will be released to make room.
Sims was ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Broncos with a calf injury, which perhaps explains the team’s crafty move to drop him and then add him again days later. In theory, the Bengals could have lost the 31-year-old to waivers since even vested veterans go on the wire after the trading deadline, but he went unclaimed in the 24-hour window. It is believed that Sims will be ready to go against the Browns this week, Owczarski hears.
Sims has made seven starts for the Bengals this season, but it will be interesting to see how he is used upon his return. Against Denver, second-year player Andrew Billings played 52% of the defensive tackle snaps against the Broncos. Meanwhile, the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus indicate that Sims has been among the worst interior defenders in the league.