Bengals: 3 players who will never get another shot at a Super Bowl
By John Buhler
DL. Scouting Report. Cincinnati Bengals. Mike Daniels. 2. player. 56. Pick Analysis
Mike Daniels is on the wrong side of 30 and hanging onto the NFL by a thread
What are the odds that veteran defensive lineman Mike Daniels made his Super Bowl debut with the Bengals and not the Green Bay Packers? Like his former college teammate Reiff, this is Daniels’ first trip to the big game. Unlike Reiff, Daniels could play in this game, as he has been reinserted into the 53-man roster after being cut by the team out of fall camp this past August.
Daniels played in two of the Bengals’ final three regular-season games. He appeared in the AFC Wild Card Game thriller over the Las Vegas Raiders but did not play vs. the Tennessee Titans in the divisional round or the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship. At 32 years old, this could be the end of the line for the former Packers Pro Bowler. He is a free agent after this NFL season.
Even if he re-ups with the Bengals for a third season, there are no guarantees they win the AFC again next year. He may go look for other opportunities on contending teams, but only two get to play in the Super Bowl each season. With only 13 regular-season games played for the Bengals in the last two years, one would think Cincinnati has enough of a sample size to make a decision.
With his NFL future in jeopardy, look for Daniels to make the most of the biggest game in his life.