AFC Notes: Joe Burrow, Omar Khan, Bengals, Ravens, Steelers

Bengals

The Bengals have scheduled off days for QB Joe Burrow recovering from his wrist injury to prevent any pain from flaring up. Although Burrow is usually against the off days, Cincinnati HC Zac Taylor has been ensured to stick to the schedule and keep him out routinely. 

“If you ask him, he’s going to be out here every day,” Taylor said, via ESPN’s Ben Baby. “And that’s part of the problem — defending the player from himself.”

“When he knows I’m saying something, he knows I mean it. Sometimes he knows when it’s up to discussion and sometimes it’s not. I think he knows we’re doing the right thing.”

Ravens

Ravens OC Todd Monken elaborated on what he’s looking for from this year’s offensive line group and mentioned players like Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele are getting valuable experience. 

“Well, you’re right; we are getting valuable experience. Did rotate [in] those guys [Daniel Faalele and Ben Cleveland], which was invaluable experience, because you have game tape – not just preseason tape – but against front-line starters of how they played, and it’s easy to show them on tape where they need to improve [and] where that is,” Monken said, via RavensWire. “It’s not [the] third quarter of the first preseason game; it’s against the best in the world. And so, you do have some tape to go back and look, and again, we’re in the development business; that’s why you draft players, [and] that’s why they keep coming up and developing.

“When you look at the left guard situation here, we [ended] up with [Ben] Powers in 2019 – who was here – and developed, and he went on, and then you get John Simpson, and you develop him, and then you feel good enough that they went on to make money somewhere else, because you developed them. So, we’re in the development business, right now, with Ben [Cleveland], and you’ve got some of the young guys that we drafted a year ago, like ‘Big Sal’ [Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu] and [Andrew] Vorhees, and you’ve got Daniel [Faalele]. All those guys are getting invaluable reps now, and obviously, once we put the pads on, for them, [that’s] where it will really be critical. We put the pads on, we get a chance to play in the preseason, and then you can assess, ‘Hey, as they keep developing, what are their strengths? [What] do we need to continue to work on?’ And they’re doing a great job now, and I expect them to play at a really high level – I really do.”

Steelers

Steelers GM Omar Khan will be sticking to the team’s policy of not negotiating contracts once the season begins.

“I think it’s an awesome policy,” Khan said, via SI.com. “That policy predates even before Kevin [Colbert] and I got here. Once we get into the season, I’m a believer it should be all focused on football. Obviously, there’s a business aspect to this, and that’s OK. That’s just part of it. But once we get into the season, it’s to focus on the season.”

Khan admitted that he was more concerned with the quarterback position and wouldn’t have ever thought there would be three talented quarterbacks on the roster heading into the season.

“From my standpoint, I can just tell you I’m more worried about the quarterback for this year,” Khan added. “The rest of it will take shape after the season…If you would have told me that we’d be sitting here with Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and Kyle Allen five months ago, I wouldn’t have believed you. We really liked Justin coming out of college. He had an up-and-down situation in Chicago, and the opportunity was there to get him, and I’m excited. He’s really looked awesome. He’s a great individual, too. I didn’t know him personally until he got here. What a special person he is.”

• According to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic, the Steelers won’t extend G James Daniels and he’s set to hit free agency in 2025. 
• Steelers WR Jacob Copeland signed a one-year, $795,000 deal with the team. (Aaron Wilson)