Bengals

Judging by the comments from WR Ja’Marr Chase, OC Dan Pitcher and G Dalton Risner, new Bengals DL Dexter Lawrence hasn’t needed a long time to leave a lasting impression given his practice performances.

“Honestly, he’s been terrorizing practice,” Chase told Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports. “I can honestly say that.”

“When you have a man as big as (Lawrence), the quick twitch and the speed they’re able to play with just disarms you,” Pitcher added. “I don’t know what you do to counteract that other than you just really focus on the technique of this interior line and you got to be really cognizant of what types of schemes you’re trying to run and how often that guy’s truly one-on-one. Running sideways and backward at quarterback in the NFL is a good way to not play very long. So it’s a problem.”

Risner can testify from firsthand experience that Lawrence is wrecking practice. 

“There’s certain guys in this league like Dexter who wreck a whole game plan, and you have to do everything around them and you change everything you’re doing,” Risner said. “You’re going to have to change how you block against certain guys. He’s just making us do it really early and really often.”

Ravens

Ravens RB Derrick Henry is entering the 11th year of his career but mentioned that he hasn’t had any thoughts about retiring. Henry explained that his mindset going into 2026 remains on improving and helping the team. 

“I don’t try to enter another season thinking about retiring and have that on my mind,” Henry said, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN. “That’s not even my mindset. My mindset is how can I get better, so we can be the best team we can be. I haven’t thought about retirement at all.”

Henry added that he’ll only call it quits when he doesn’t have any more passion for the game. 

“I love the game and once I feel like that love is gone, then I’ll hang it up,” Henry said. “But I’m just focused on getting better.”

Ravens OT Ronnie Stanley thinks Henry can play as long as he wants with how well his body holds up.

“As long as he is having fun and he feels good, he could play as long as he wants because they do not build humans like that,” Stanley said. “So, there are not many challengers, I would say.”

• Ravens WR Zay Flowers mentioned that he put on eight pounds over the offseason in hopes that he can “run through more tackles,” per Jamison Hensley. 

Steelers

Steelers OT Broderick Jones returned to practice after suffering a season-ending neck injury last season. Jones reflected on his injury, saying it caught him off guard after feeling great following their Week 12 game against the Bears. 

“After the [Chicago Bears] game, I felt fine,” Jones said via Brooke Pryor of ESPN. “I went in the next day, and I was telling [head athletic trainer Gabe Amponsah], this is the best I ever felt after a game. And he was like, ‘I don’t know how because you’re done.’ I’m like, ‘What?'”

The injury occurred when Jones was blocking a leaping Bears LB Dominique Robinson, who wrenched Jones’ head when he was coming down after trying to break up a pass. Jones doesn’t harbor any ill feelings toward Robinson. 

“We’re all out there playing football at the end of the day,” Jones said. “I’m not saying it was a dirty play or anything. I just feel like he wanted to make a football play, and it was just wrong place at the wrong time type scenario. I got to be better having my hands up, not shooting forward, leaning and stuff like that to prevent things like that. But it’s football, it’s a physical game, so those things are bound to happen.”

Steelers HC Mike McCarthy has been impressed by Jones’ effort toward his rehab. 

“I think it speaks volume for Broderick and what he’s been doing here the last couple of months,” McCarthy said. “So I just think, like anything, when a player comes off of a medical clearance, you can’t just go to a hundred miles an hour. … Broderick, he’s been a starter here. He gives us position flex.”