Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s charitable foundation has removed a member of its board of directors.
Via Ryan Gajewski of the Hollywood Reporter, the action came in response to comments the board member made following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Hamilton County municipal court Judge Ted Berry posted comments on Facebook.
“The Joe Burrow Foundation was founded on the belief that everyone has the responsibility to do good,” the group announced in a statement on Twitter. “We have terminated an advisory board member that made inappropriate remarks in light of recent events and they are no longer associated with the Foundation. Their comments do not reflect our values or our mission. We are committed to accountability and respect for all.”
Said Berry, in a statement to the Cincinnati Enquirer: “I regret if I caused division. That was not my intent. And I hope there can be peace.”
There have been separate calls for Berry to resign his position on the bench, which he has held since 2005. He has previously said he will retire when his current term ends, in January 2026.
In Sunday’s season-opening victory over Carolina, Jacksonville receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter played 42 offensive snaps (64 percent) and just six defensive snaps (9 percent).
Look for those numbers to change in Week 2.
Head coach Liam Coen told reporters in his Wednesday press conference that it’s “likely” Hunter will play more on defense in large part to help combat the Bengals receiver duo of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
“It’ll be a likely uptick,” Coen said. “It’s more so, going into Week 1, it was, OK, we know that it’s not going to be a ton on defense. The goal is to increase and continue to increase [defensive playing time]. It just so happens that we’re playing Cincinnati with two good wideouts this week.”
Chase was limited to just two catches on five targets for 26 yards last week against the Browns. Higgins had three catches on four targets for 33 yards.
“I mean, there’s some good tandems out there for sure, but the way they’ve done it at a high level now for a number of years, the chemistry, they go to a Super Bowl, they’ve won, they’ve known how to win,” Coen said. “Zac [Taylor has] done a great job there with getting those guys where they are now. They’ve played in a difficult division. They’ve played a ton of difficult games, tight games over the years. They’ve pulled some of those out in some critical moments. Play Kansas City tough every year, so this is a team that knows how to win. They’re well coached and they have some talent.”
Hunter caught six passes for 33 yards last week. We’ll see if he gets loose on offense and/or defense in Week 2.
The Bengals signed defensive tackle Mike Pennel to the active roster from the practice squad Tuesday, the team announced.
Pennel, an 11th-year player, signed to the Bengals’ practice squad on Sept. 1. He was elevated from the practice squad to the active roster for the season opener, then reverted to the practice squad Monday.
He played 22 defensive snaps and four on special teams in the victory over the Browns.
In a corresponding move, the Bengals placed offensive guard Lucas Patrick on injured reserve after he injured his calf in Sunday’s game. Patrick will miss at least the next four games before returning.
The Bengals also announced they signed defensive ends Myles Cole and Isaiah Foskey to the practice squad.
They released defensive end Isaiah Thomas from the practice squad.
The Bengals will have to make a change to their starting offensive line in Week 2.
Right guard Lucas Patrick left Sunday’s win over the Browns with a calf injury, and head coach Zac Taylor said Monday that Patrick will miss at least this week’s game against the Jaguars as a result.
Patrick was injured 16 snaps into the win, and Dalton Risner played the other 36 snaps for Cincinnati. Risner signed with the team in late August, so he did not have much practice time before his number was called.
“It wasn’t the ideal situation you would draw up, but I had extreme confidence in myself to be able to step in and be a vessel to help the Bengals win when called upon,” Risner said, via Ben Baby of ESPN.com. “I was just called upon earlier than I thought.”
Patrick joined the Bengals this offseason after starting 10 of the 11 games he played for the Saints last season.
Much of the blame for the Bengals falling short of the playoffs last season was placed on the shoulders of a defense that couldn’t make their high-scoring offensive performances lead to wins, but the team followed a different script against the Browns on Sunday.
Joe Burrow and the offense punted on five of their six second half possessions while picking up 141 yards for the entire game, but the defense forced a pair of turnovers and sacked Joe Flacco twice in the final 30 minutes to allow the Bengals to avoid another Week 1 loss. They got some help from the Browns missing a pair of kicks, but wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase wanted the focus to be on the defense after the 17-16 win.
“Worship my defense right now. I’ve been congratulating them since a minute and twenty seconds left on the clock,” Chase said, via the team’s website. “Nothing but praise to those guys. Can’t say anything more than just a hell of a job today. From being in the NFL for so long now, the games that are ugly and we win, we’ve got to take it. Every game is not going to be pretty. Every game is not going to be the best. For me, for Tee [Higgins], for Joe. It’s not going to be best for us. We’ve got to take everything we can, and get the W.”
Burrow echoed Chase’s praise for the defense by saying the unit “made big-time plays today in big spots.” If that can continue while the offense finds its footing, the Bengals should stand a better chance of making the playoffs this time around.
