Bengals News (2/3): Cover boy

Ross Browner talks with Geoff Hobson about playing against Joe Montana in Super Bowl XVI
Browner and Montana, teammates at Notre Dame, were already used to big stages to decide it all. Browner recalls his senior year in South Bend when Rusty Lisch went down during the third game of the 1977 season and head coach Dan Devine mused out loud to his captains on the sidelines about who he should put in at quarterback. Browner, the Fighting Irish's defensive leader who started that season on a Sports Illustrated cover, says he didn't hesitate.

Bengals make Joe Burrow his NCAA Football video game cover
That wasn’t possible given the popular game’s hiatus, so fans can probably imagine their quarterback’s reaction when EA Sports announced Tuesday that the series would soon make its long-awaited return.

Lou Anarumo wants Bengals to re-sign Carl Lawson, William Jackson
Now defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has thrown his weight behind the same idea. While he admits anything can happen on the open market, the vibe about the offseason seems to be clear.

2021 NFL Mock Draft: Panthers trade for Deshaun Watson and Texans go QB, Bengals pick Ja'Marr Chase
The Panthers were apparently very much in on Matthew Stafford, offering their first-round pick in 2021 (No. 8 overall) "and then some" per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, so they're the dark horse team to trade for Deshaun Watson, right? They have to be. In this mock, that trade goes down, and it has a massive ripple effect on the rest of the first round. Unless Watson will simply do anything to get the heck out of Dodge (see: Houston), maybe he won't exercise his no-trade clause for any trade offer. But I have a feeling he'll feel no shame in exercising it, thereby limiting the return the Texans can get in a trade for him.

NFL, Bengals honoring local vaccinated health care workers with free Super Bowl tickets
“The fact that our frontline workers have stayed the course every day, every week, and every shift is truly the definition of a superhero,” senior vice president of regional operations of TriHealth Marla Silliman said.

Are the Bengals years away from being a serious contender?
It’s a tough question to dissect due to the variables involved. On one hand, Zac Taylor has gone 6-25-1 over two seasons as head coach to date. On the other, the team has the luxury of building around a rookie quarterback contract, which is generally when the window is open the widest.

Around the league

Super Bowl or bust! Ten men I want to see lifting the Lombardi Trophy
Drenched in a reality where Tom Brady is making his 10th trip to the Super Bowl, hundreds of other players and coaches can't seem to crack the code. Some are stuck on junky rosters, others dashed by fate or the sands of time.

Jared Goff on Rams wanting to move on: 'The feeling's mutual'
Jared Goff experienced the gamut of adventures in his time in Los Angeles. From being the No. 1 overall pick to struggling out of the gate under Jeff Fisher to being a Pro Bowler in Year 2 with Sean McVay to leading the Rams to a Super Bowl, then back into the abyss as the scapegoat for how it came crashing back to earth the past two seasons.

Buccaneers' trademark cannons to fall silent during Super Bowl LV
In Tampa, the Buccaneers -- swashbuckling pirates of old -- have a giant pirate ship in one end zone. The ship features cannons that fire when the Bucs score, and play-by-play announcer Gene Deckerhoff has been known to shout "fire the cannons" when calling Tampa Bay trips to the promised land.

Ryan Fitzpatrick wants to play in 2021: 'These last two years have really re-lit that fire under me'
The 38-year-old QB helped the Miami Dolphins to the doorstep of the postseason despite getting yo-yoed in and out of the lineup in favor of Tua Tagovailoa. In nine appearances, the man known as FitzMagic completed a career-high 68.5 percent of his passes for 2,091 yards and 13 TDs to eight INTs.