The Bengals have spent years trying to keep Joe Burrow upright, and the picture that opens this conversation says plenty: Dexter Lawrence with the sack, Burrow on the ground.
That’s the backdrop as Cincinnati tries to clean up one of its most stubborn issues. The offensive line remains a constant topic, the running game has gone without much support for a long time, and Burrow has taken too many hits in the pocket while also missing a lot of games in two of the last three seasons.
Now, though, Lawrence’s presence is creating a different kind of benefit for the Bengals. On the practice field, the matchup is already giving rookie center Connor Lew a brutal education.
Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com reported that Lew is absorbing as much as he can while going against Lawrence on the scout team.
"I'm already going against the best nose tackle in the league. You can't get any harder than that...
He's elite. There's no question about that.
I've been talking to the other scout teams guys about that. And when we look back two weeks from now, I know that's a small amount of time in football, but you look at that, and I think we'll make a big jump and grow going against those guys."
Lew has been one of the surprises of Bengals camp. He’s only 21, and he’s coming off the torn ACL he suffered in his final season at Auburn. Without that injury, he might have gone much earlier in the draft and never ended up in position to line up against Lawrence every day.
Instead, he’s back on the field and getting the kind of reps that can accelerate a young lineman’s development fast. It’s a trial by fire, but it’s the best possible kind of trial by fire.
Lawrence, a two-time All-Pro, spent his time with the New York Giants in a losing setup. In Cincinnati, he now has the kind of support that can let him do what he does best. And for the Bengals, that has ripple effects beyond the present.
Lew is widely viewed as the eventual successor to Ted Karras at center, and that transition matters because Karras, steady as he is, simply doesn’t have the same runway left that Burrow does. Lew, by contrast, has a long way to go, and every snap against Lawrence is helping shape that path.
That’s what makes this setup so valuable. Burrow benefits because the Bengals are trying to build a future center who has already had to survive against one of the league’s toughest interior forces.
Lew benefits because he’s learning under extreme pressure. And Lawrence, by setting such a high standard, is forcing everyone around him to sharpen up.
Karras said it plainly in the story linked in the intro:
"The level of stress I feel at the line of scrimmage...[ No.] 97, he gets like one a day on me which I gotta eliminate.
[...] You better bring your f**g s when you're going against Dexter Lawrence."
If Karras, who is 33 and a pending free agent, manages to stick around for another quality season, that only buys Lew more time to keep growing against Lawrence in practice. It would also give Burrow a little more peace of mind.
And if this ends up being Karras’ final season in Cincinnati, Lawrence may still leave the Bengals in a good place. Either way, the center job should be in stronger shape by the time the next handoff comes.
There’s also more depth forming behind Lew. Rookie Brian Parker II has taken a lot of center reps, and surprise 53-man roster player Jacob Bayer has too. Both are in the mix for the No. 2 center job, and either could also have a shot at an eventual starting role at right guard if Dalton Risner signs elsewhere next offseason or the one after.
In Other News...
Bengals Added A Tackle Orlando Brown Clearly Believes In
The Bengals added Myles Hinton, and Orlando Brown Jr. wasted little time making clear he likes what Cincinnati brought in. Brown pointed to Hintons talent, size and athleticism, a useful mix for a team that has spent plenty of time trying to keep the pocket cleaner and the offensive front sturdier around Joe Burrow. It is the kind of move that does not grab headlines the way a splashy signing does, but it still fits the broader push to keep building depth where it matters most.
The move also lands in a week where the Bengals have had plenty of other roster threads worth tracking, from Joe Giles-Harris finding his lane on special teams to Burrows measured optimism about where the team is headed. There is still the larger backdrop of Trey Hendricksons contract situation and how it could shape draft-pick decisions, plus the usual summer noise about whether Cincinnati belongs in the Super Bowl conversation. Hinton is not the center of all that, but he is part of the same bigger picture, and Browns endorsement suggests the Bengals see something worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
JaMarr Chase Just Gave Bengals Fans A New Off-Field Reason To Care
JaMarr Chase has turned another chapter of his partnership with Fabletics into something Bengals fans can actually shop, releasing a new collection that blends performance gear with casual looks. It is the third drop in the relationship, and this one comes with a fairly wide spread of options, from cargo pants and oversized tees to joggers, shorts and hoodies, giving Chase another way to stay visible beyond Sundays.
The collection features 25 styles and is available online and at Fabletics stores nationwide, with prices running from $14.95 to $159.95. For Cincinnati-area fans, there is also a local wrinkle: exclusive items are being sold at the Kenwood, Ohio location, adding a little hometown appeal to a rollout that keeps Chase in the conversation even when he is not making plays on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals May Have Found A Practice Squad Corner Worth Watching
The Bengals 16-man practice squad brought a few familiar roster-filler names, but cornerback Trikweze Bridges stands out as the one worth a closer look. The undrafted rookie, who spent time with the Cowboys before landing in Cincinnati, brings rare physical traits for the position, including a 6-foot-9 wingspan and noticeable speed. Those tools alone do not guarantee anything, but they do make him an interesting stash for a team that is always balancing depth, development and the demands of special teams.
Bridges enters a cornerback room where every back-end spot matters, especially when a team is trying to preserve flexibility for the weeks ahead. His path to a larger role likely starts on special teams and in practice, where the Bengals can keep evaluating whether his length and athletic profile translate into something more than a reserve option. For a roster still sorting out its long-term corner situation, a practice squad addition like Bridges is the sort of move that can quietly become more important than it looks on the surface. [Read more 🡒]