Uncertainty surrounding his recovery likely played the key factor in him going undrafted, despite projections he would get picked in the third or fourth rounds. Now the Cincinnati Bengals are giving him a shot, signing him as a college free agent.
McLaughlin reported to Cincinnati on Thursday and attended the team’s rookie minicamp Friday as an observer. He hopes to be ready for training camp in late July and could have a real shot at making the 53-man roster if he gets back to his pre-injury form.
“I mean, I never wanted to have that be a topic,” McLaughlin said about having to answer so many questions about his injury throughout the pre-draft process. “I put in a lot of hard work. It stinks that that was the way my college career ended. But I think everything happens for a reason. Those questions were pretty easy because I had a great team around me at Ohio State, you know, my doctor, I had all the answers that people were asking for, and super confident in my progress.”
McLaughlin spent the first four years of his college career at Alabama and established his role over the final three games of his sophomore year in 2021 when his first starts came in the SEC title game, playoff semifinals and national championship game.
The 6-foot-4, 304-pound lineman from Buford, Ga., started 22 of 25 games over the next two years but felt his development had become stagnant and entered the transfer portal after the 2023 season after receiving backlash from fans over errant snaps.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
McLaughlin enrolled at Ohio State in January 2024 and went on to prove himself as the nation’s best center, earning the Rimington Trophy despite playing in just 10 of the Buckeyes’ 16 games. He tore his left Achilles tendon in November and underwent season-ending surgery soon after that.
“That was hard because I was playing the best ball of my life,” McLaughlin said. “Ended up winning the Rimington for those 10 games, and I was super proud of what I was building towards, and kind of being the most improved player in college football, some people were calling me, but it stinks that it ended that way, but I’m glad it didn’t derail our season. We were shaky there for a couple games after but once we got in the playoffs, had a few weeks to jell the offensive line. They didn’t miss a beat, and they put up a ton of points. So, it was nice to see the Buckeyes go out on top.”
McLaughlin focused on his rehab and still thought based on his conversations with NFL teams throughout the pre-draft process that he would be selected early on Day 3. It was a long wait just to not get drafted, but he knew teams were wondering how fast he would be able to get back on the field and start adding value to the organization.
The draft process was out of his control, but he had his pick of teams afterward in the college free agent pool. He liked what the Bengals had to offer.
“Just the enthusiasm -- they didn’t really have many question marks,” McLaughlin said. “They knew exactly where I was going to be at, and the offense is always going to be great here, and they compete for Super Bowls. I won a championship at every single level that I’ve been at, and I want to have that opportunity to help a team do that when I get healthy. Short (drive) down the road, love being in Ohio. I love the people in Ohio. So, everything really just made sense.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
It could be a big opportunity for McLaughlin, as Bengals center Ted Karras is in the last year of his contract with only 2024 seventh-round pick Matt Lee backing him up. McLaughlin said he just views this as an opportunity to get better, try to get back on the field as fast as possible and to start making progress toward becoming an NFL-caliber center.
Although he won’t be able to participate in practices this offseason, McLaughlin plans to continue his rehab and soak up as much information as possible.
“Just get in the building, kind of establish myself as a hard worker, you know, live in that training room, just get back healthy,” McLaughlin said. “And while that’s coming along, I can bring along a lot of other parts while, you know, I might not have all the on-the-field reps and stuff, but I can get better in the weight room. I can get better in there. I can improve my mobility. It just gives me an opportunity to kind of learn, but when I step on the field, I gotta really bring it.”
About the Author