News and buzz surrounding the Cincinnati Bengals picked up dramatically around the middle of the week as the team started to prep for the game against the San Francisco 49ers.
In fact, it was actually the 49ers that produced one of the biggest news headlines of the week with the revelation of a serious injury item that will have a big impact on that cross-conference showdown.
On the Bengals front, the first injury report of the week and some very interesting practice footage made some noise, too.
Here’s a look at the must-know Bengals news, notes and quotes for October 26.
New looks for the offense -- Bengals Wire
Onlookers noticed that Joe Burrow and the Bengals were doing some under-center work for what seemed like the first time this year during Wednesday’s practice. That’s something coaches have talked about doing to help the running game and overall unit, yet was previously not possible in part due to Burrow’s injury.
Huge 49ers injury news
The 49ers revealed that starting quarterback Brock Purdy entered concussion protocol due to a hit he suffered last Monday night. Now, it’s fair to question whether he’ll be able to take the field at all against the Bengals, which is a huge ordeal.
Burrow's new look
The Burrow cleat saga continues, this time with the star quarterback adding an entirely new color to the cleats that he has dodged questions about in the past.
Orlando Brown Jr. ahead of schedule
An interesting comment from coaches seemed to reveal that left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. is doing better than they projected as he remains on track to start next weekend.
Injury report
The first injury report of the week features just two names for the Bengals. Neither are shockers, with one tracking to play and the other set to miss yet another game.
Bengals host CPR event -- Bengals.com
The Bengals partnered with the American Heart Association this week to teach hundreds of fans hands-only CPR.
From the press release:
“When the world saw Damar Hamlin experience a cardiac arrest on Monday Night Football last season, what they also saw were those very first links in the chain of survival working. Everything happened like it should in a cardiac arrest emergency. This includes, early recognition, calling 911 with responders immediately on the scene, administering high-quality CPR, and having access to, and using an Automated External Defibrillator,” says Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association. “Knowing how to respond in a cardiac emergency when seconds matter is literally the difference between life and death. We are so proud to be a part of Save The Dey to educate and add more lifesavers in the community.”
Ted Karras on Joe Burrow -- Bengals.com
How does Burrow’s injured calf look coming out of the bye? Here’s starting center Ted Karras: “I’m not on Joe Watch. (But) He looks pretty good. We had a good, crisp day today. I think the biggest thing that came out of early in the season was that everybody knows how tough this guy is and he went out there and showed it.”
A salute
MLS Playoff time… go get ‘em @fccincinnati!
Good luck this weekend 🫡 pic.twitter.com/ApRTuvcRgB
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 25, 2023
Fun tweet from the Bengals here as they wish another local team well.