rode the bench
Warmed the seat
Rode the bench means spent time as a substitute rather than playing—from the bench where reserve players sit during games.
A player who rode the bench all season rarely got into games.
The phrase extends beyond sports to anyone sidelined from the main action: I rode the bench on that project while everyone else got the interesting work.
- waitDelay until later
- benchwarmerSeldom-used team member
- sat outDeclined to participate
- underutilizedInsufficiently put to work
- pineCone-bearing evergreen
marginalized · roster · substitute · inactive · starter · garbage time · playing time · backup · playtime · deferred · sideline · second string · practice squad · splinters · overlooked · excluded · reserve · frustration