CINCINNATI — It’s always a great feeling on the first day of Bengals training camp. It’s almost like the first day of school-full of new possibilities, some new faces and even new haircuts.
What You Need To Know
- The first day of training camp for the Cincinnati Bengals was on Wednesday
- Quarterback Joe Burrow returns from a season-ending wrist injury last year with a new haircut that has everyone talking
- Tee Higgins is back as a Bengal after signing a franchise tag with the team
- Ja'Marr Chase is not participating in camp until he has a new contract signed
It’s hard to ignore Joe Burrow’s newest hair style, which he says was a deal he made with teammate and defensive tackle B.J. Hill.
“Well, B.J. said that if I buzzed it and bleached it, he would do it too,” Burrow said. “So now everybody’s got to hold him accountable because he’s got to do it within the next week.”
While Burrow and the buzz cut won’t be a permanent style, he is hoping it brings him some good mojo from the last time he had the haircut-when his football team won the district championship in high school. But now, it’s all about prepping for the season ahead after coming off a wrist injury last year.
“I was happy with today, you know, still feeling it out, you know, still have some throws where it’s, it’s like, well, what did that look like?” Burrow said. “Usually goes where I want it to, but sometimes it doesn’t spin the way I want it to.”
And Burrow’s got all the pieces out there. A first-round pick on his offensive line and Tee Higgins coming back on a franchise tag.
“My whole focus is winning the Super Bowl with the Bengals for the 2024 season,” Higgins said. “And obviously playing the best season that I’ve ever played and just putting myself in the position to be successful.”
“This is the deepest, most talented group we’ve had since I’ve been here from top to bottom,” Burrow said.
Burrow seems more powerful, stating that he hasn’t been this big since his college days. He says the biggest difference this off season is listening to his body to avoid injury, as he plans to not work out for more than two days in a row during the beginning part of camp.
I took more time off if I felt like I needed," he said. "I think that worked in my favor.
While it’s a new season, head coach Zac Taylor says the expectations remain the same.
“They’re embracing that mentality,” Taylor said. “We’ll see how it goes as training camp goes. But I have high expectations for the standard they’re going to set for themselves and for their teammates.”
This is just day one of training camp, and fans are here to watch. Season ticket holders get access through this weekend and practices are open to the public starting Monday.