THE APEX TIMES
Before Sunday’s game against Tennessee, Cincinnati used its Saturday night Ring of Honor build-up to celebrate two eras of franchise history, then shifted focus to a quarterback matchup that again features an overall No. 1 selection, with Joe Burrow set across from Cam Ward at Paycor Stadium.
The Bengals’ pregame spotlight began Saturday night in the CareSource Club Lounge at Paycor Stadium, where Cincinnati planned to induct Bob Trumpy and James Brooks into the Ring of Honor at halftime of Sunday’s game against the Titans.
All-time passing leader Ken Anderson helped frame Trumpy’s impact, describing the tight end as “Gronk before Gronk,” while Ickey Woods credited Brooks for making the “Ickey Shuffle” possible and linked the running back to the 1988 Super Bowl team’s identity.
The ceremony also included a comparison of passing eras. In comments relayed by Bengals radio and broadcast figures, Boomer Esiason pointed to Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s NFL-leading 71.4 completion percentage and argued that, in a different era, Kenny Anderson “would complete 85%,” adding context about how comparisons between eras can become skewed.
On the field focus for Sunday, the Bengals’ preparation centers on Burrow facing another overall No. 1 pick at quarterback. Bengals notes say this marks Burrow’s first game in Cincinnati against Tennessee’s Cam Ward, and that Burrow has previously faced fellow overall No. 1 quarterbacks in rematches, beating Baker Mayfield in the opener and losing to Trevor Lawrence on Oct. 4.
Cincinnati also described the matchup in terms of age and Paycor experience. Bengals notes list Burrow as 29 and Ward as 24, and they say Burrow is looking to improve his record in overall No. 1 Paycor games to 5-3.
Roster plan matters, too, because the Bengals say the Titans game is their first effort dealing with sudden, year-ending losses to tight ends Erick All Jr. and Tanner Hudson. Bengals notes say those departures remove both toughness and specific pass-game roles, with Burrow indicating the Bengals will fill the gaps “by committee.”
To address the tight end and related passing-game needs, Cincinnati says it is supplementing Mike Gesicki and blocker Drew Sample with two-way rookie Jack Endries (10 NFL scrimmage snaps) and adding Cam Grandy, a blocker type who was cut in training camp after taking 103 snaps with Cincinnati across 2024 and 2025 and was signed off the Vikings practice squad last week.