Bengals keep quietly fielding strong OL in front of Joe Burrow

1 week ago 2

A lost season makes it tough to find some of the silver linings for a team like the Cincinnati Bengals.

But for Bengals fans who have been around the block and scratching their heads since the Andrew Whitworth and Kevin Zeitler days, it’s probably pretty shocking to see the following statement:

The Bengals currently have the best offensive line of the Joe Burrow era.

It’s a statement that has been true, probably since the halfway point of the season, at least. Rookie Dylan Fairchild has been a solid anchor at guard and former first-rounder Amarius Mims is really living up to his draft billing at right tackle.

This point was once again highlighted after last week’s win over the Arizona Cardinals, this time with PFF’s Gordon McGuinness giving the Bengals "offensive line of the week” honors:

“It was not just Fairchild, as the entire unit turned in a solid performance, with every starter earning a PFF grade of 67.0 or better. They combined to allow just four pressures on quarterback Joe Burrow and helped fuel a rushing attack that saw Chase Brown rack up 101 rushing yards.”

The Bengals appear to have a long-term starter with the Fairchild and Mims duo. Fellow rookie Jalen Rivers looked good in spot duty. Once he was settled in and healthy, Dalton Risner has been a key cog at the other guard spot.

Looking ahead, the Bengals will obviously want Risner back in free agency next offseason. And while left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. hasn’t been perfect, it wouldn't be a shock to see an extension this offseason because players of his caliber don’t usually become free agents, something he’s scheduled to do after 2026.

Odd as this year has been for the Bengals, perhaps the oddest thing of all is the offensive line not being a major pain point for an offseason.

This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals keep quietly fielding strong OL in front of Joe Burrow

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