Bengals News (2/9): Willie Anderson’s connection to Eagles’ Lane Johnson

Right Stuff On Display Super Bowl Week As Paths Of Bengals Great Willie Anderson And Eagles All-Pro Lane Johnson Meet
Willie Anderson, a mentor of Eagles Pro Bowl right tackle Lane Johnson, is up for Canton, as is the late Ken Riley, the cerebral cornerback who was a mentor to so many on the Bengals' first great teams. On Wednesday during the Eagles' media session as they prepped for the Chiefs in Sunday's Andy Reid Championship, Johnson recalled how five years ago he asked Anderson to come to Oklahoma City and work with him for a couple of days.

Bengals: Joe Burrow’s 5th-year option cap hit revealed by NFL
For the Bengals, the number doesn’t really matter — they would accept whatever willingly for obvious reasons. As of right now, Burrow is a cap hit of roughly $11.5 million in 2023 before the escalation to the $29.5 million number.

Bengals frustrating Patrick Mahomes led to turning point for Chiefs QB
“You have to understand, Patrick will always be a competitor and that’s who he is. When it’s all said and done, what doesn’t kill you is going to make you stronger,” Bieniemy said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “After going through that experience, he’s worked his tail off this entire offseason. But on top of that, he wants to be a better teammate but also by being accountable and helping those guys around him to play better. If anything, it’s helped him grow. It’s just a sign of maturity. You have to understand, as great as he is as a quarterback, he’s still a young kid in this game. He’s still learning the nuances of the game.”

Ranking every Super Bowl, 56-1: Rams-Bengals cracks top 20, Patriots play in best games, plus more classics - CBSSports.com
The Chiefs came back to the Super Bowl during the pandemic, trying to throw a real wrench in Tom Brady's dynasty plans by creating their own little party in KC. The Tom Brady showed up with his new team, as the Buccaneers hosted the Super Bowl and Brady -- at the tender age of 344 -- won his seventh Super Bowl in fairly boring fashion.

Look: Former Cincinnati Bengals Quarterback Andy Dalton Shouts Out A.J. Green Upon Retirement
"You set the standard of what it meant to be a pro," Dalton wrote. "You did it the right way. Thankful that we came into the league together. We started as teammates and turned into brothers! The Green family holds a special place in our lives. Enjoy your next chapter! 14x18"

Joe Burrow Rumors: Bengals QB Wants to Structure New Contract to Keep Weapons
"At the end of the day, I don't think Joe's really too worried about how much money he's going to make because he's already making a tremendous amount. It'll work out for us. 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," Chase said on NFL Network.

Around the league

Super Bowl LVII picks: Will Kansas City Chiefs or Philadelphia Eagles win Lombardi Trophy?
Will Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs lift the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in four years? Can Jalen Hurts lead the Philadelphia Eagles to the franchise's second title, winning his first ring in the process? Which players will shine this Sunday on the game's biggest stage at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona? Our analysts provide their Super Bowl LVII predictions.

Super Bowl LVII's Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts chasing greatness while honoring past Black QBs
In February 2005, for instance, quarterback Tom Brady sat next to safety Rodney Harrison as the Patriots' team bus made its way to practice for Super Bowl XXXIX. The bus was largely quiet, but over the hum of the oversized tires against the road, Brady softly yet sternly reflected on how six quarterbacks and 198 players were drafted ahead of him in 2000.

Christian McCaffrey: 49ers will have 'a lot of fuel this offseason' after heartbreaking NFC title game loss
In the aftermath, 49ers players discussed how difficult it has been to have the year end in such a fashion after overcoming so much adversity already, including wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who said earlier this week that the "weird situation" the Niners played through will be something he thinks about for a long time.

Commanders head coach Ron Rivera non-committal to picking up DE Chase Young's fifth-year option
"Well, what goes into that is you get an opportunity to sit down, look at his tape with our scouts, talk about the way he played, what do we see in terms of development and growth?" Rivera said Wednesday, via Richmond.com's Michael Phillips. "We're going to sit down with the doctors, with the trainers. 'Where is he? How do you feel, is this something that is going to be long-term, hey, no worries -- as long as nothing crazy happens, he's going to be fine, it's worth the risk?' You know what I'm saying? We have to go through that process more so than anything else."