Bengals WR Charlie Jones on Return, Thumb Injury and Comfort in Offense
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00:00 How you feeling right now, man?
00:01 Feel good.
00:01 It was good to be back out there.
00:03 It feels like it's been forever since I've been out there.
00:07 But today was good.
00:09 Just making sure during the time that I was out
00:11 that I was working on the things that I could work on.
00:13 And just felt good to be back out there.
00:15 When you get to be back out there for the first time
00:17 in a while, what's it feel like stepping out there
00:19 and getting to do some of that work?
00:22 I mean, it feels good.
00:23 I mean, you really think about it.
00:26 Sometimes you take it for granted practicing every day.
00:29 So it was nice for me to get my mind right and just
00:35 be excited to be out on the field practicing.
00:38 I know it's only practice, but I haven't done it in a long time.
00:42 I understand the importance of practicing.
00:43 And the only way to get better is to be out there practicing
00:46 with the team.
00:47 When you're taking a little--
00:48 You've got so many things going on this year
00:49 between trying to learn the playbook and the faces
00:51 and everything else around here.
00:53 And then something like that happens.
00:54 How do you go about trying to take that in stride?
00:57 Yeah, I mean, it's tough.
00:58 It's not what I had in plan before the season.
01:02 But I know it's God's plan.
01:04 And I know that's better than my plan.
01:06 So for me, like I said, I was just
01:08 trying to control the things that I could control.
01:12 And if I can find a way to work on something
01:14 that maybe I haven't been able to work on before because I
01:17 hadn't had the time, it was a perfect time for me.
01:19 Out of the field, you can still stay in shape.
01:22 Do you feel like you could play if needed?
01:24 Yeah, I feel like I'm ready to go.
01:26 The trainers did a good job with me on the other field,
01:29 just keeping me in shape, running routes,
01:31 catching punts.
01:33 So today I felt good being out there.
01:36 Obviously, practice is a little bit different than being off
01:39 to the side.
01:39 But I think a couple of days of it, I'm ready to go.
01:43 Drum-wise, how did it feel catching punts?
01:45 And kind of a lot of the special team
01:47 drills and obviously catching the ball.
01:49 Yeah, I mean, it felt good.
01:51 It was my first time really doing it with the quarterback.
01:54 So it was a little bit of an adjustment.
01:56 But it felt good.
01:57 The first couple I needed, I felt it a little bit.
02:00 But as I got going, it felt really good.
02:03 Do you think it will be sore?
02:05 Maybe, yeah, we'll see.
02:07 I mean, I feel like that's going to be--
02:09 that's pretty normal to be sore after a day like today.
02:11 How did it happen, and did you know right away?
02:15 It was on my second punt return during the Rams game.
02:21 I can't remember if I put my hand down
02:22 or I just took a helmet to it.
02:24 But I remember coming off to the sideline right after that.
02:27 And I was like, I know I felt that one.
02:29 I thought it might have been just a bad sprain.
02:31 But after the game, it was super swollen.
02:33 So I knew something else was up.
02:35 How's the wide receiver room been helping you out
02:37 over the last couple of weeks, getting you back mentally
02:40 in check for a double league pick out there?
02:42 They've been great.
02:43 I mean, just keeping me up mentally,
02:46 just telling me I'm staying in it, getting my mental reps now.
02:49 And just kind of motivate me.
02:51 When I come back, they know what I'm capable of doing.
02:54 And just kind of lifting me up that way.
02:56 Offensively, obviously, Jamar's banged up.
02:59 We'll see on him.
03:00 But how comfortable are you moving around?
03:01 These guys all move around.
03:03 Are you comfortable outside slot as well?
03:04 I know you got a lot of slot reps before the injury.
03:07 Yeah, I mean, before I came here,
03:09 I played primarily on the outside.
03:10 So I'm used to that.
03:13 Like you said, I've been pretty much here just playing
03:15 in the slot.
03:16 But for me, that time that I was out,
03:19 I was trying to just mentally get into it,
03:21 understand the playbook.
03:23 Have more time to really look at it
03:26 and focus on a wider lens of what everyone else has got,
03:30 not just the slot.
03:31 So if they need me, I'm ready to go.
03:34 While you were hurt, Joe got healthy.
03:37 Are you eager to be one of his targets
03:39 now that he's able to move around?
03:41 Oh, yeah.
03:42 Watching him, it's been awesome.
03:44 Seeing him, first and foremost, feeling healthy,
03:47 being healthy out there.
03:48 And then playing the way that we all know he could play.
03:50 So I'm definitely looking forward
03:52 to getting my chance to show him that I'm
03:54 someone he could rely on.
03:56 Does he look different right now than he looked
03:58 several weeks ago to you?
04:01 Yeah, I mean, I just know he's feeling good,
04:04 which is the most important thing.
04:06 And obviously, doing crazy stuff that he's been
04:09 doing the past couple of weeks.
04:10 So like I said, it's great to see.
04:12 And it's what we all knew he was capable of doing.
04:15 And I think we're all just happy that he's
04:17 healthy and feeling good.
04:18 How much did you enjoy seeing your fellow rookie,
04:21 Andre Josibos, get into the end zone a couple of times?
04:23 Oh, yeah, that was awesome.
04:25 I mean, super pumped for him.
04:26 He's gotten opportunities, and he's
04:28 stepped up in huge moments.
04:31 I knew that.
04:33 I've only known him a few months.
04:36 And ever since I got here, I knew
04:37 he was going to be someone that worked hard.
04:39 And when he got his chance, he was
04:40 going to take advantage of his opportunities.
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