Cincinnati Bengals safety Jordan Battle technically lost his starting job this summer when the team brought back Vonn Bell and added Geno Stone to play the other spot.
Technically, at least, Battle looked ready to jump into a starting role in that Bell-styled role after impressing late in his rookie season when given the chance.
But while Battle is now third in the rotation, he’s embraced the role and newfound duties that come with it — with even special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons impressed with how forcefully Battle has thrown himself into duties on special teams.
“Tough, but technically I never really had a job. Last year I was fighting. You know what they say. Long season,” Battle said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “Keep fighting. Embrace the competition. Don’t get my head down. Play my role on this team, which right now is second safety and special teams. I kind of like special teams right now. I Iike the (new) kickoff. It’s like a one-on-one block. I can’t be blocked one-on-one.”
Battle wasn’t the only one to lose a job at safety, with former first-rounder Dax Hill making the move — incredibly successfully, by the way — to the boundary corner spot.
Communication issues that plagued the secondary last year were the main reason for the changes, with Bell coming back already knowing the system to fix the issue.
That leaves Battle as a rotational presence for now while effectively getting mentored by Bell before stepping into a bigger role at a later date. It’s a nice piece of long-term strategy by the Bengals in the secondary, with Battle’s embracing it making it all the better.
