Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals and fourth-year safety Jessie Bates III "are not expected to reach a contract extension at this time," according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. 

Bates is entering the final year of his rookie contract and due to earn $2.4 million in 2021. Fowler indicated he and the team remain apart in negotiations over a new deal.

The 2018 second-round pick boosted his value last season after finishing with 108 tackles, 15 pass breakups and three interceptions. Pro Football Focus' Sam Monson listed him among the biggest snubs from the All-Pro team:

Bates had three interceptions and 12 pass breakups, more than any other safety this season, and did much of that work playing single-high free safety where plays on the ball are more difficult. He finished the year with a 90.1 overall PFF grade, the best mark of any safety. And he did so with a defense that was disastrous at times around him.

The Bengals have built a reputation for being a bit thrifty and not the most player-friendly organization.

In the past, however, they haven't been afraid to shell out pay raises to retain their top stars such as A.J. Green, Geno Atkins, Andy Dalton, Carlos Dunlap and Tyler Boyd. Sam Hubbard just signed a four-year, $40 million extension.

The way in which the front office approached this offseason could be telling with Bates' 2022 free agency looming, though. Cincinnati signed Trey Hendrickson instead of three years and $45 million with the New York Jets. Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton, meanwhile, will be tasked with helping to replace William Jackson III at cornerback.

At $15.3 million, the Denver Broncos' Justin Simmons is the highest-paid safety in the NFL. Jamal Adams will presumably reset the market with his new deal, which could have a domino effect for Bates and others at the position. 

The Bengals will have the franchise tag as an option to keep Bates on the team for 2022. Beyond that, Fowler's report will likely be concerning for fans when it comes to Cincinnati's willingness to pay market value for one of the game's better safeties.

Amid some early struggles for the offense in training-camp practices, at least one member of the Cincinnati Bengals thinks Joe Burrow is still favoring his surgically repaired knee. 

Speaking to reporters after Wednesday's practice, Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd said he thinks Burrow is "kind of a little iffy on his knee" right now. 

Boyd did note that Burrow "looks good" in general, and his "pocket presence seems great."

Per Jay Morrison and Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic, the Bengals' practices on Monday and Tuesday were dominated by the defense. 

"The pass rush continued to break through the offensive line and put pressure on Joe Burrow and the other quarterbacks, and nearly every pass that wasn’t wildly off the mark was heavily contested, if not broken up or intercepted," the article said.

The offensive line struggling to protect the team's QBs is notable because that was one of the biggest problems for the Bengals in 2020. 

Burrow was sacked 32 times in 10 games last season before suffering a torn ACL and MCL in Week 11 against the Washington Football Team. He played well as a rookie before the injury, throwing for 2,688 yards with 13 touchdowns and a 65.3 completion percentage. 

"The No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft took 32 sacks (t-2nd most) and 42 quarterback hits (t-5th most) over the first 11 weeks of the season," wrote Ben Linsey of Pro Football Focus. "That falls back largely on the play of the offensive line." 

In addition to tearing Burrow tearing his ACL and MCL, ESPN's Adam Schefter and Ben Baby reported the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner "suffered other structural issues" in his knee. 

The Bengals announced on Dec. 2 that Burrow underwent successful surgery. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported (h/t NFL.com's Kevin Patra) that Cincinnati was anticipating the 24-year-old would "need 8-9 months of recovery and be ready around the beginning next season."

Despite having the ability to select an offensive lineman with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 draft, the Bengals opted to take wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, Burrow's former LSU teammate. 

It's still early in training camp, with Burrow only eight months removed from his surgery, so the Bengals don't need to been in a full-blown panic based on the offense's performance yet. 

But the results for Burrow and the offense do need to get better soon if the Bengals want to have any chance of improving on last year's 4-11-1 record.    

Although he has been cleared for football activities following a significant knee injury suffered last season, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is not expected to see the field during any of his team's three preseason contests.

"We probably aren't going to put him out there until we get to the season because we don't want to risk anything with him," Bengals governor Mike Brown said Monday, per ESPN's Ben Baby. "But his effort rehabbing was A-plus."

Cincinnati opens its preseason slate against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Aug. 14 and will also face the Washington Football Team (Aug. 20) and the Miami Dolphins (Aug. 29).

With Burrow coming off a torn ACL and MCL suffered in Week 11 of his rookie season, it appears that Cincinnati will be doing everything in its power to ensure he will be under center come Week 1. The Bengals will open the regular season at home against the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 12.

ESPN's Adam Schefter noted that Burrow's knee injury also contained other structural damage and the typical recovery time was nine to 12 months.

Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed Burrow's surgery in December, previously told Schefter that the Bengals star should be "full go" for Week 1 this season.

Cincinnati's expectations rest on Burrow staying healthy and developing into the player he was projected to be as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. The 24-year-old was having a terrific rookie season with a 65.3 completion percentage, 2,688 yards and 13 touchdowns in 10 games before the injury.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will not be placed on the PUP or NFI list entering training camp, indicating he is healthy as practices begin, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Burrow has been recovering from a season-ending knee injury suffered last November, fincluding a torn ACL and MCL with other structural issues.

The 2020 No. 1 overall draft pick finished his rookie year with 2,688 passing yards and 13 touchdowns in 10 games. 

Despite the severity of the damage, Burrow had planned to return before the start of the 2021 season nine months after the initial injury. 

"I should be full go in camp," he said in May. "That's my goal. Maybe a little limited."

Two months later, the quarterback reached his expectation and appears on track to play Week 1 as the Bengals host the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 12. The squad's first preseason game is scheduled for Aug. 14 against the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It should provide plenty of excitement in Cincinnati with the return of the franchise quarterback in a passing attack that features Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd and rookie first-round pick Ja'Marr Chase. Burrow and Chase won an NCAA championship together at LSU and will team up again in the NFL.

As the Cincinnati Bengals prepare to reconvene next month for the start of training camp, there's reportedly good news about Joe Burrow's surgically repaired knee. 

On SportsCenter on Saturday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported the Bengals quarterback has "cleared pretty much every hurdle" in the rehab process so far. 

Burrow's rookie season came to an end in Week 11 against the Washington Football Team when he took a hit to the knee in the second half. 

The Bengals announced on Dec. 2 that Burrow had successful surgery to repair a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee. Head coach Zac Taylor told reporters at the time they expected to have the 24-year-old back in 2021, though he didn't say if he would be available by Week 1. 

Fowler noted the next step for Burrow during training camp "will be planting and throwing from the pocket in real work" and "moving inside and outside of the pocket."

Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed the knee surgery, told ESPN's Adam Schefter in May that Burrow is "on track for full go for start of the season."

The Bengals will report to training camp on July 27. They will open the regular season on Sept. 12 against the Minnesota Vikings at Paul Brown Stadium. 

Before the injury, Burrow was having an excellent rookie season. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft threw for 2,688 yards with 13 touchdowns, five interceptions and a 65.3 completion percentage in 11 games. 

Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon took to Twitter to express his feelings on the updated COVID-19 protocols that were agreed upon by the NFL and NFL Players Association on Wednesday.

The new rules largely grant freedom, so to speak, to players and team personnel who are vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the memo, which was shared by NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. 

Those individuals are no longer required to wear masks or test for the virus daily and can travel and use facilities freely, while non-vaccinated individuals must follow similar protocols to last season, including daily testing, quarantining after exposure to COVID-19 and limits on group sizes in workouts and at meals, among other regulations. 

Mixon continued in a series of tweets, writing that he saw football as "being individualized by beliefs" before adding that he wasn't concerned about anyone's vaccination status: 

He may be the odd man out on the Bengals.

Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor canceled minicamp after one day as a reward after the team reached a certain threshold regarding COVID-19 vaccinations, per Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. 

If a team has 85 percent of personnel vaccinated, it can resume normal, in-person operation in meetings and weight rooms.

Safety Jessie Bates III, who is an NFLPA representative, praised Taylor for "getting [players] the information we needed," while Taylor said the team offered the opportunity to receive vaccinations at the facilities.

"We had a fair number of our players [on Monday] who said they would get it [Wednesday]," Taylor told reporters. "I said, 'Hey, we’re well on our way to making life pretty easy for ourselves in training camp in terms of scheduling and all the protocols.' That combined with the work we’ve gotten done, we decided to move on until training camp."

He added that he didn't push players to get the vaccine, noting that "the last thing you want to do is tell somebody what to do with their body," and wanted instead to serve as a resource and provide information to help players make the right decision for them. 

That message got through, at least to Bates: 

"Coach Taylor has done just an awesome job communicating and letting guys know ahead of time before making that type of decision,” he said. “Giving guys options. Making guys feel comfortable. Enough to make a decision to get vaccinated or not. … We’re riding on a high note right now leaving mandatory minicamp." 

According to Pelissero, more than half of all rostered players in the NFL had at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine as of Tuesday. 

Cincinnati Bengals left guard Michael Jordan told Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic that he was deeply affected by Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow's season-ending knee injury last November.

“I took it really personal,” Jordan said. “It took me about a week to get out of my own head.”

The Bengals were playing the Washington Football Team on November 22, 2020. In the third quarter, Burrow dropped back to pass, but the offensive line's protection faltered.

Washington defensive lineman Jonathan Allen beat Jordan and rolled into Burrow's left leg, causing the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner and NCAA national champion to fall sideways to the ground. Washington edge-rusher Montez Sweat also beat right tackle Bobby Hart and hit Burrow from the other side.

Burrow was carted off the field. He suffered a torn ACL, a torn MCL and other structural damage, per ESPN's Adam Schefter and Ben Baby.

Jordan told Dehner that he spoke with Burrow afterward and apologized.

First thing I did was I apologized to Joe. I told him he was not going to hear any more words from me. Just actions. I can tell him I’m going to do better. He doesn't want to hear that. He wants to see it. I'll prove what I’m saying and my convictions this upcoming season. Not a whole lot of talking; I'm just going to show it.

He really just said thank you, I appreciate it. He told me he loved me, and I told him I loved him too. There’s always love between me and Joe Burrow. He's a great guy—hell of a guy. I just really don’t have anything else to say to him; I just want to show him. That’s all I want to do.

Burrow is on track to return for Week 1, per Dr. Neil ElAttrache, who operated on Burrow and relayed that news to ESPN's Adam Schefter in mid-May.

The Bengals open their regular season on Sunday, Sept. 12 at home against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Cincinnati Bengals and wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase agreed to a four-year, $30.8 million rookie-scale contract.

The LSU product will receive a $19.8 million signing bonus as part of the contract. He was the fifth overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft and joins a Bengals roster seemingly primed to take a leap in 2021.

Joe Burrow was in the middle of a stellar rookie season before suffering a torn ACL in Week 11. He'll be reunited with Chase in Cincinnati after the pair broke out as college football's most dynamic quarterback-receiver duo in 2019. 

The 21-year-old compiled 84 receptions for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns as LSU reset the college football offensive record book. The talented wideout sat out the 2020 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic and to prepare for the 2021 draft.

"Imma break every record they got at the Bengals," Chase told reporters. "That's my goal right now. I'm telling you right now, I'm gonna break every record they have. I don't know how I'm gonna do it, but it's gonna get done."

The Bengals have one of the most promising young receiving corps in football, with Chase, Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins combining to give Burrow a bevy of weapons. Offensive line is still a major concern, and that's especially the case given the quarterback will be returning from a serious knee injury.

That said, if the Bengals can scheme around their line problems, they have the makings of a promising young team in 2021. 

Professional athletes have made recovering from serious injuries seem easy, but fans rarely see the challenges of rehab behind the scenes. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow offered a glimpse into his recovery to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

The 2020 No. 1 overall pick tore his ACL and MCL during his rookie season in November, and life was especially difficult immediately after the surgery in early December.

"It was just rehab twice a day trying to make it livable," Burrow said. "It was pretty miserable at the beginning. It was tough for me to do anything by myself, whether it was shower, go to the bathroom, all of that. I couldn't really do any of that on my own. That was probably about two or three weeks."

He expects to play Week 1 of the 2021 season, but it's still a long road back, and he said last week his knee is about 80-85 percent, per Mitch Stacy of the Associated Press.

"Still got to be patient," he said. "Can't push too hard."

The Bengals open the regular season Sept. 12 versus the Minnesota Vikings.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is hopeful he'll be fully cleared by the time the team opens training camp in July.

"I'm hoping it'll be the beginning of camp, at the latest by the first game," Burrow told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

Burrow is recovering from a torn ACL and MCL suffered last November.

"Two-and-a-half years ago, I didn't know if I was going to be a starting quarterback anywhere in college," Burrow said. "And now, sitting where I'm at, I've gone through a lot of adversity that's helped put me in the position I'm in. This is just another bump in the road that I have to overcome. And I'm confident that I can, and I'm confident I've done it the right way so far."

Burrow was in the midst of a stellar rookie season when he went down, throwing for 2,688 yards and 13 touchdowns against five interceptions in 10 games. He was neck-and-neck with Justin Herbert for Offensive Rookie of the Year honors at the time of his injury and likely would have won the award given the lack of talent around him.

The Bengals went to work loading up around Burrow in the 2021 NFL draft, selecting his former LSU teammate Ja'Marr Chase in Round 1 and offensive tackle Jackson Carman in Round 2.

Chase, Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins give Burrow a trio of young, skilled receivers, and the Bengals are hopeful Carman can develop into a cornerstone on the line. Burrow was sacked 32 times last season, putting him on pace to finish behind only Russell Wilson, who was sacked 52 times.

The Bengals will almost certainly be cautious bringing Burrow along; it'd be a surprise if he played a full slate of preseason games. It's possible, if not likely, his first game action will come in Week 1 of the regular season—regardless of his participation level in training camp.

That said, it's promising that Burrow is already champing at the bit to get back under center.