March 2, 2026, 7:00 p.m. ET
The Cincinnati Bengals made star quarterback Joe Burrow happy with the re-signing of Dalton Risner to start the week.
Monday’s big news means the Bengals will retain the same starting five offensive linemen for a second season in a row for the first time in the Burrow era.
Risner himself? He feels the love from Burrow, as he told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com around the time of the signing.
“This deal wouldn’t have been done without guys like Joe Burrow. Joe Burrow pushed for me this whole offseason,” Risner said. “He checked in. He wanted me there. (Right tackle) Amarius Mims was outspoken. I had so many people. My offensive line coach. Zac Taylor. I just felt like I had so many people that pulled for me that I don’t think this would have gotten done without them.”
The veteran guard mentioned Bengals head coach Zac Taylor as a reason for not really wanting to test the free-agent market, either.
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That would certainly seem to align with the recent NFLPA grades that gave Bengals coaches shining marks, but not the front office above the locker room.
In a super-interesting twist, Risner also mentioned that his benching in Week 2 and role in the Burrow injury played a major role in his career path in Cincinnati.
“It was a big deal, and it was really hard. And I just felt like in that moment, if my kid, my future kid, is watching me,” Risner told Hobson. “I think about that all the time. My wife is watching me. I would rather them look at me and be a man and say, I can own my mistakes, I can move forward, and I can do my job the best I can, and accept it for what it is, rather than being some of the biggest excuses. I think excuses are the worst.”