The Cincinnati Bengals had a busy offseason. They used the first two days of the draft to beef up their offensive line, franchised wide receiver Tee Higgins, and decided to release veteran running back Joe Mixon. They will also start the season with star quarterback Joe Burrow back under center after his season ended in Week 11.

All major moves, but all pale in comparison to the loss of cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, who signed with the Titans this offseason.vAwuzie's impact might not have been as felt on the field last season, with just 43 tackles and no interceptions for the 14th ranked secondary. But, his presence will be missed in the locker room as Joe Burrow's longtime chess partner.

Joe shared that his departure was difficult on Monday's episode of Pardon My Take, as Awuzie had long been Joe Cool's most worthy opponent in the locker room. Responding to the question if this will be a storyline this season, Joe said, "Yeah, I lost my chess partner."

Burrow, a lifetime chess player, started playing back in elementary school when the weather would force recess to be held inside. He rekindled his love for the game during the isolation of the pandemic and credits chess for the way he approaches the game of football, saying, "It's very strategic, and you have to plan all your moves. That kind of calls to me."

Joe started playing with Awuzie back in 2021 after Chidobe saw Joe playing with a teammate at his locker and was less than impressed with his game. "His end game needed a little bit of work," Awuzie said. "But he was playing all the right moves." After their first game, Awuzie suggested Joe Burrow get the Chess.com app to practice up. Burrow did, and before long, he was a worthwhile opponent for the 2nd round pick out of Colorado.

Awuzie signed a three-year, $25.5 million deal with the Titans this offseason, bringing veteran leadership to their secondary. The Bengals' decision to let him walk is potentially a gambit for a team with high hopes heading into the 2024 season, if someone else on the team can step up to The Game of Kings in the Queen City.