Joe Burrow wasn’t part of the Bengals’ brief brush with Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday, and the quarterback kept his comments as cool as the moment itself.
Vance showed up at the Bengals’ first practice of the week at Kettering Health practice fields, arriving around 2:15 p.m. local time, according to The Athletic. But the visit didn’t unfold like a typical VIP stop. In an 18-second clip, nearly the entire team is seen walking past Vance as he stood near the locker room waiting for players.
After practice, Burrow was asked about the scene and said he never met Vance. “We did not.
We did not. He came with everybody and left with swiftness and efficiency before the end of practice.
So I didn’t get to,” he told reporters.
Burrow then shifted the focus away from the awkward moment and toward the bigger picture of why people show up to watch the Bengals in the first place. “Yeah, a lot of people.
A lot of people around. That’s what I love about what I do is it brings a lot of people together, and people want to take time out of their day to come and watch what we do, watch what I do, and watch all the work that I’ve put in to come and watch greatness.
And that’s everybody in the locker room. That’s why we do what we do, and whether it’s on the TV, whether it’s in person, whether it’s on the practice field, that’s what we do.”
That answer quickly stirred speculation online about Burrow’s political views, especially after he spoke up for the Black community in 2020 and supported abortion rights in 2022. Still, not everyone read the exchange that way.
“Now THAT? is a f-ing boss. A true LEADER,” one person said.
“What a diplomatic answer!” another said.
“Politely saying ‘I don’t give a dam about JD Vance,'” another wrote.
“Joe Burrow really said Vance came, saw, and left before the meet-and-greet DLC unlocked. At least somebody got a quick exit,” someone said.
“Umm who cares what he says or think - dude is a complete dumb dumb!” one said.
The Bengals enter Week 7 at 3-2 and are coming off their Week 5 win over the Miami Dolphins. They’ll next face the Baltimore Ravens.
In Other News...
Bengals Safety Problems Keep Reviving One Painful Reunion Idea
The Bengals have spent the time since Jessie Bates walked away trying to patch a hole that never really stopped mattering. Cincinnati has leaned on free agency and the draft to stabilize the safety spot, and Bryan Cook was part of that effort, but his injury has only added to the sense that the back end still needs help. For a defense that has been asked to reset itself around new pieces, the absence of a reliable answer at safety keeps nudging the conversation back to a familiar name.
Bates left in free agency after the sides could not agree on guaranteed money, and his move to Atlanta has become one of those decisions the Bengals still feel whenever the secondary wobbles. The idea of bringing him back keeps resurfacing because it is easy to understand why it would make sense on the field, even if the path to getting there remains a long shot. Cincinnati may keep looking for fixes elsewhere, but the unresolved need at safety is what keeps reviving the old reunion talk. [Read more 🡒]
Tee Higgins Just Added Extra Heat To Bengals Ravens Week 7
Tee Higgins is already leaning into the edge of a Week 7 meeting that has a little more juice than the usual AFC North grudge match. The Bengals are getting ready to face the Ravens, and Higgins enters the week off a solid start to the 2026 season, giving Cincinnati another reliable piece as it tries to keep pace in a game that carries early-season weight.
Higgins spent time discussing the matchup with Trey Hendrickson, a former teammate who now lines up on the other side of the rivalry. There was plenty of respect in the conversation, but also the kind of competitive tension that comes with seeing a familiar face in a new uniform. For Cincinnati, it adds one more layer to a game that already feels like it should have plenty of edge. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Burrow's Week 7 Standing Should Grab Bengals Fans' Attention
Quarterback power rankings are always a little more subjective than the standings, but they still say plenty about where the league thinks a teams signal-caller sits after the first third of the season. For Cincinnati, the list is worth a closer look because it folds performance, perception and expectations into the same conversation, with established stars and some surprise names all mixed together.
Joe Burrows placement in that group is the part Bengals fans will notice most, especially as the AFC North remains unforgiving and every week seems to reshape the picture around him. The ranking does not settle anything on its own, but it does underline how much attention Burrows season is drawing and why his standing has become part of the larger discussion around Cincinnatis place in the league. [Read more 🡒]