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Veteran offensive tackle La’el Collins is returning to the Dallas Cowboys following a stint with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Collins and the Cowboys have reached an agreement on a contract and he will join the franchise ahead of the 2024 postseason, according to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday that Collins was signing a practice squad contract. Rapoport previously reported that Dallas signing him to the practice squad was a way for him to “work his way into football shape.”
Collins was released by the Bengals in September after spending the 2022 campaign with the franchise. He hasn’t played a single game this season.
The 30-year-old began his career with the Cowboys in 2015 as an undrafted free agent out of LSU and emerged as a staple on Dallas’ offensive line, starting 46 of 47 games between 2015-2018 before agreeing to a five-year, $50 million contract extension in 2019.
Collins started 15 games in 2019 before missing the entire 2020 campaign due to injuries. He was also suspended five games in 2021 for missing multiple drug tests and attempting to bribe the league’s drug-test collector.
Collins started 10 of 12 games in 2021 before being released by the Cowboys ahead of the 2022 season. He then signed a three-year, $21 million contract with the Bengals but was released ahead of the 2023 campaign after beginning the year on the reserve/physically unable to perform list.
Collins started 15 games for the Bengals last season but missed the entire postseason after tearing his ACL.
Collins now returns to Dallas on an offensive line that includes Tyron Smith, Tyler Smith, Tyler Biadasz, Zack Martin and Terence Steele. He could prove to be a key depth addition after Tyler Smith tore his plantar fascia in Week 17.
The Cowboys close out the regular season on Sunday against the Washington Commanders and they currently own the No. 2 seed in the NFC.
