Bengals
Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase thinks Joe Burrow will structure his contract in a way that will enable the organization to retain the “weapons” of their offense.
“At the end of the day, I don’t think Joe’s really too worried about how much money he’s gonna make because he’s already making a tremendous amount,” Chase said, via Andrew Siciliano. “It’ll work out for itself, it will all work out. I think Joe knows what he wants and how he wants to set up his contract to keep some of his weapons around him. And I think that’s the biggest part for him.”
- Bengals WR Tee Higgins, who is entering the final year of his contract, said he is hopeful to continue playing in Cincinnati for a long time: “Hopefully for a long time, I plan on being in Cincinnati for a while.” (Ian Rapoport)
Steelers
Steelers OLB T.J. Watt praised 2022 second-round WR George Pickens‘ ability to finish plays and stamina on the field.
“George Pickens is one of those guys that’s like, I don’t know if he understands how good he is,” Watt said, via ProFootballTalk. “It’s like holy cow — some of the things you see in practice. But it’s also on top of that, it’s the little things. Like finishing plays, running — he can run for days.
As for first-round QB Kenny Pickett, Watt thinks the rookie progressively improved each week and was a major part of Pittsburgh’s 16-13 win over the Ravens in Week 17.
“Kenny Pickett, getting better each and every week. Commanding two-minute drills back in training camp. You could just see the progression. Then you come to the Ravens game down the stretch where he was able to lead the team down the field. And we just had a feeling — we’re going to score this, we’re going to get on defense, and we’re going to win this game. So, it’s just little things like that. It’s all about gaining respect through teammates, through work. And those guys came to work every day.”
Titans
Titans C Ben Jones suffered multiple concussions and was limited to just 12 games in 2022, after only having missed one game up to that point in his career. Many have speculated that Jones may retire due to the concussions, but he says that he will continue to play if he is able to do so at a high level.
“My mindset now is: It’s an offseason, so how do I prepare like a normal offseason?” Jones said, per Jim Wyatt of Titans Online. “It’s getting some surgeries, getting healthy. So, when [training] camp comes around, if I am able to go and ready to roll, I am able to go out there and do it. My whole thing is: Spend time with the family, get healthy, and get ready to play football like I always do. If I am able to still play at a high level, I would love to keep playing. If not, grandfather time does happen, and we’ll see what is best for our family.”
“I’ve played in this league now 11 years, so getting this opportunity to fellowship with these guys and being around all these guys who all work so hard, it has been amazing,” Jones said of being in the Pro Bowl. “You want to win things as a team, but being named to the Pro Bowl, it is a great honor to be acknowledged for this. And it means a little more at the end of your career because it shows you put some consistency together, doing it for this long of a time. Just getting rewarded here at the end is special.”
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