Bengals News (1/25): Mike Hilton is the grittiest slot corner in the NFL

Bengals-Chiefs: Why Mike Hilton Dominates Bengals' Slot With A Gritty Joy
"Pops," kept moving him up a spot or two in the Atlanta-area rec leagues since his youngest son always seemed to be a step or two ahead of the kids his age in Tyrone, Ga. Eventually Mike Hilton Sr., stopped worrying about how miserably Zachary's little brother took losing.

Zac Taylor On Bengals' Journey Back To AFC Title Game With Bengals.com's Geoff Hobson
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor joins the Steelers' Bill Cowher (2004-05) and the Ravens' John Harbaugh (2011-12) as the only AFC North coaches to take their teams to back-to-back AFC title games. He talks about the journey to Sunday's game (6:30 p.m.-Cincinnati's Local 12) in his weekly chat with Bengals.com senior writer Geoff Hobson.

NFL Power Rankings, Championship Sunday: Bengals, Eagles ride high; Bills, Cowboys bow out
Anybody else starting to get the feeling Joe Burrow is simply not going to be denied this year? Joe Cool 2.0 played quarterback like a man possessed on Sunday in Orchard Park, picking apart the Bills in a resounding 27-10 win that sent Cincinnati back to the AFC Championship Game for the second straight year. Burrow was casually dominant, but he didn't do it alone: Lou Anarumo's defense put the feared Buffalo attack in a phone booth, while Cincy's offensive line -- littered with question marks after a rash of injuries -- kept Burrow clean and consistently opened big lanes for running back Joe Mixon. "Domination from start to finish," Burrow said after the win. "That's what we expected. Job's not finished." This is a quarterback and team afraid of no one -- including the Chiefs.

Brandon Beane: Bengals have advantage of Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase on rookie contracts - ProFootballTalk
“They right now are on the advantage of a rookie quarterback contract,” Beane said of Joe Burrow. “They had some lean years, and without getting too much into their build, I don’t want to suck bad enough to have to get Ja’Marr Chase. He’s a heck of a talent, I’d love to have him, but you got to go through some lean years to do that. They were able to get Burrow No. 1 and Chase [No. 5] and those guys are on their rookie deals. We’re paying Stefon Diggs a pretty hefty number. We’re paying Josh Allen a pretty hefty number. So there is the constraints of the cap. They have a really good team and they’ve got some good young players. We’re gonna try to get as many players as we can through the draft and through free agency, but again, our cap situation is a little different.”

Former Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger says Bengals' Joe Burrow is 'one of the elites in the league'
"Joe is one of the elites in the league. He's good. His pocket presence. He can run enough, he's a sneaky good runner. Great decision-maker. Great throws. … I'm telling you what, I don't think it's too long until he's in MVP talks, I really believe that."

Bengals should give Joe Burrow a contract tied to cap percentage
Quarterback Joe Burrow deserves to be the highest-paid player in football. He won’t push for that, however. It’s not his way, not his style. He won’t want to tie the team’s hands when it comes to operating under a fairly firm salary cap.

Around the league

Tom Brady landing spots: Raiders, Dolphins, 49ers among potential fits in 2023
You've visited NFL.com, and the second option is not how we roll. Besides, we might not get another chance to wonder about Brady's future. Retirement remains an option. Broadcasting games for FOX rests on the horizon. So does playing, though, something Brady has refused to swat down as he heads into free agency.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (ankle) will practice Wednesday ahead of AFC Championship Game
Mahomes will participate in Kansas City's Wednesday practice, coach Andy Reid told reporters prior to the midweek session. The quarterback adopted a positive stance regarding his high ankle sprain when speaking Wednesday, telling media members he's "excited to get on the practice field and kind of test it out and see where I'm at."

WR Deebo Samuel, RB Christian McCaffrey among notable 49ers sitting out Wednesday
Receiver Deebo Samuel (ankle), running backs Christian McCaffrey (bruised calf) and Elijah Mitchell (groin), and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (foot) aren't expected to take part in the midweek session, coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters.

NFL news roundup: Latest league updates from Wednesday, Jan. 25
NFL.com keeps you up to date with all of the latest league news from around the NFL. Visit NFL.com's transaction hub for a daily breakdown.