The Cincinnati Bengals hope they have solved some of the franchise’s long-running offensive line issues with a pair of rookies.
Going into Week 5, the Bengals will continue to start third-round pick Dylan Fairchild at left guard and fifth-round pick Jalen Rivers at right guard.
Advertisement
Ask veteran center Ted Karras? That Fairchild-Rivers combo could be around for more than a few years.
“I think for the health of this program, I think they’re going to be the guard tandem for a better part of a decade. They’re doing all the right things,” Karras said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “Yeah, Dylan’s big and strong, and he’s really athletic, too. I think people underestimate the strength of Jalen Rivers. If you’re trying to attack them at some point, I think these guys are up for the challenge.”
RELATED: Bengals’ Jermaine Burton was reportedly late to practice, now inactive
The Bengals have had an incredibly brutal time developing their own offensive linemen over the years, especially on the interior. It’s no coincidence that the best years of late came after paying up for Karras and Alex Cappa, guys who developed elsewhere.
Advertisement
The Bengals would love to change this narrative, if for nothing else, than to field a better product and better project Joe Burrow.
After two losses by a combined score of 76-13 and Burrow out for the foreseeable future, there’s no time like the present to find out if Karras might be right about this rookie tandem.
RELATED: Bengals fans are officially ready for the Zac Taylor era to end
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Ted Karras thinks Bengals’ rookie guard tandem is here to stay