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Amarius Mims was seen yelling at position coach Frank Pollack on the sidelines during a win over the Cleveland Browns. The Bengals offensive lineman wasn’t happy with being told to hit the bench.
It resulted in a heated exchange on the sidelines. It appeared that Mims wanted to re-enter the contest. Pollack wouldn’t allow it.
The right tackle suffered an ankle injury in the first half of action. He was removed from the game, checking into the medical tent for evaluation. He then returned to the field before again exiting the contest. The Bengals eventually ruled him as questionable to return.
Devin Cochran took over Mims’ spot at tackle, which didn’t seem to sit well with the starter. He was seen arguing with the coaching staff after being told the news.
Amarius Mims returns at RT.
Just had a heated conversation with OL coach Frank Pollack. Orlando Brown Jr stepped between them as Mims put his helmet on to enter the game. #Bengals | @WLWT pic.twitter.com/I0bGvnqjkL
— Olivia Ray (@OliviaRayTV) December 22, 2024
Cincinnati plays next Saturday. With slim playoff hopes still alive, it didn’t want to risk further injury with the team prepping for a short week. That said, the decision clearly didn’t sit right with everyone in the moment.
Amarius Mims was later seen chatting with head coach Zac Taylor. He seemed to calm his first round pick down.
After talking with Frank Pollack – Zac Taylor spoke with Amarius Mims.#Bengals @WCPO pic.twitter.com/P3SWkHE2BT
— Marshall Kramsky (@marshallkramsky) December 22, 2024
After the game, Taylor said that Mims was “hit or miss” on whether or not he could return to the field. In the end, the Bengals chose to play it safe after building a 17-0 first half lead.
While Mims was frustrated on the sidelines, his attitude changed over the course of the game. After landing the win, the lineman dismissed the notion of any lingering locker room issues.
“My ankle was bothering me… I got some treatment and it started feeling better,” he said. “Ultimately, we came to a time where Devin [Cochran] was set to go in. When you go out there, you’re expected to be 100%… I was thinking about Joe [Burrow], thinking about the o-line. I didn’t want to put anyone out there in harms way.”
“We’re good,” he replied when asked about the spat with Frank Pollack. “Tempers flare on the sideline. It’s a game of love and passion… We talked about. We’ve done hugged it out. We’re good.”
Despite the early exit on Sunday, Amarius Mims expects to be back in the lineup when the Bengals take on the Broncos next week.