AFC Notes: Bengals, Browns, Ravens, Steelers

Bengals

• The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. writes the Bengals signed a 16-year agreement in their new naming rights deal with Paycor, a Cincinnati-based company that provides HR services. They were previously one of just three teams that didn’t have a stadium sponsor. 
• He points out the current stadium lease expires in 2026, so this is a pretty strong indication the team isn’t going anywhere. 
• Bengals owner Mike Brown added this would help the team’s revenue streams, which will become relevant with all the players they have who will be due for extensions: “It’ll help us perhaps handle the cap a little bit easier. We’re a small-market team. We need the revenue streams that we can obtain. The fact that about 30 teams have naming rights and a revenue stream from that and they have more revenue than we do to begin with. We have to do some things just to keep up.”
• Financial details were not disclosed immediately but per the terms of their lease, the Bengals are entitled to $60.5 million off the top and then 70 percent of the remainder, with 30 percent going to the county. (Sharon Coolidge)
• Bengals HC Zac Taylor is relying on QB Joe Burrow to keep them updated with his health and communication on when he feels ready to return to the field following appendix surgery: “He knows himself way better than we do. I trust the communications with him when we’re going to get him back out here…We’ve got plenty of time before the opener and I trust that we’ll have a good process in place.” (Jay Morrison)

Browns

Browns DT Jordan Elliott isn’t happy with his development two seasons into his career but is now ready to take the next step with the team planning to rely on him more heavily entering the 2022 season.

“Honestly right after the season, I wasn’t satisfied,” Elliott said, via Scott Petrak of BrownsZone.com. “I knew I had to make changes if I wanted to expect something different like I can’t expect a different outcome and just be the same person. Just that desire, maybe that shame or embarrassment of how I was performing because it wasn’t to the level I wanted in my mind.”

“I guess it’s pressure, but not in a negative way, it is just you gotta have pressure on you sometimes to make you take that next step,” Elliott continued. “So that’s kind of how I’m looking at it. I’m excited about it.”

Ravens

Ravens HC John Harbaugh refuted the report that first-round OL Tyler Linderbaum is dealing with a Lisfranc sprain.

“That’s not true. That’s not true. It’s not a Lisfranc sprain,” Harbaugh said, via Ravens Wire. “There’s a ligament; it’s not that ligament. It’s a different ligament. So, he’s had the Lisfranc before. There’s no separation, there’s no Lisfranc sprain, per se. That’s my understanding. I’m not a doctor, but I play one in press conferences, as you know. But that’s what I was told.”

Steelers

• PFF’s Doug Kyed polled a number of NFL personnel about how the Steelers’ quarterback battle would go, and all but one expected veteran QB Mitchell Trubisky to be the starter. 
• The lone dissenter thought QB Mason Rudolph still had a chance to win the job. Per Kyed, there’s a good chance Trubisky doesn’t start the whole season either, with Rudolph and first-round QB Kenny Pickett lurking behind him. 
• Steelers WR Diontae Johnson has a hip flexor injury and OLB Alex Highsmith has a rib injury. Steelers HC Mike Tomlin is hoping they’re both day-to-day injuries. (Ray Fittipaldo)
• Steelers K Chris Boswell‘s four-year, $20 million deal includes an $8 million signing bonus and base salaries of $2.74 million in 2023 and $3.12 million in 2024-2026. (Over The Cap)
• His 2023 base salary is guaranteed and there’s also a $1.3 million roster bonus that year.