Bengals rookie defensive end Cashius Howell is heading into his first NFL season with a clear warning already ringing in his ears: the grind is different now.
Howell, a second-round pick in this year’s draft, arrives in Cincinnati after playing alongside Shemar Stewart at Texas A&M in 2024. Stewart said the adjustment goes beyond the field and into the daily wear and tear of a pro season.
“It’s a long year,” Stewart said, via Ben Baby of ESPN. “It’s not like college.
It’s definitely a lot harder on your body. You’re going to be mentally and physically tired because rookies just have a lot more things to do on your plate.”
Howell said he’s ready for that challenge and is approaching whatever comes next with confidence.
“I thank God in advance for whatever he has in store for me,” Howell said. “Whatever that may be, I’m prepared for it. But I feel like it will be good.”
Cincinnati also got a quarterback update from Joe Burrow, who said he is dealing with tightness in his back but still expects to play in Week 2 against the Texans, per Kelsey Conway.
In Cleveland, Deshaun Watson’s Week 1 line against the Jaguars was solid on paper - 16 completions on 22 attempts for 210 yards, a touchdown and an interception - but the Browns still took a 34-10 loss, and Watson didn’t spend much time dwelling on the mistake that showed up in the stat sheet.
“Bad plays are going to happen all the time. Look all around the league, everyone throws interceptions, everyone makes bad plays. You got to give the defense credit,” Watson said, via BrownsWire.
Watson was also asked whether he feels pressure to put together a big performance to lock down the starting job. He pushed back on the outside noise and made clear he isn’t tracking the conversation the same way everyone else is.
“I think all that is for the media. I think the media has this expectation that I’m supposed to throw 400 yards and 5 touchdowns every week.
Until that happens, I guess it’s going to be the same situation. My job is to make sure I’m playing well so that we can get a win and keep moving forward.”
Browns HC Todd Monken took a similar stance when asked if Watson needs a big game to keep the job. He said he saw enough positives in the opener to avoid drawing that kind of line.
“I wouldn’t say that. I always expect our players to play well.
I wouldn’t put them out there if I didn’t. And there were moments last Sunday he did.
And some he didn’t… Our guys played hard. We couldn’t stop the bleeding.
It happens sometimes.”
Monken also said third-round OL Austin Barber Teven Jenkins (back) is set to return for Sunday’s game, per Zac Jackson.
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The bigger shift is how much the organization has grown since introducing its Ring of Honor in 2021, with the franchises value rising by roughly $5.325 billion in that span. Joe Burrows arrival as the face of the team has clearly affected spending and strategy, and the message from ownership has been hard to miss: the Bengals are acting like a franchise that expects to stay in the conversation, not merely visit it. [Read more 🡒]
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Where Joe Burrow Already Stands Among Bengals Passing Legends
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Burrows place among the top seven serves as a reminder of how much production he has piled up in a short time, and how much more room there is for him to move up if he stays healthy and keeps the offense humming. For Bengals fans, the bigger question now is not whether he belongs on the list, but how high he can eventually rise among the names that built the teams quarterback history. [Read more 🡒]