Sam Hubbard Brings The Heat As Ruler; Burrow-Lawrence Start String Of No. 1 QB Paycor Games In 2025; Inactives

Sam Hubbard, in his first sport of retirement, nonetheless wore a 94 jersey at Sunday’s Paycor Stadium opener and nonetheless went into the stretch line to fireside up his males and nonetheless signed objects draped over the wall.

Except, this time, the title above the quantity mentioned, “Ruler,” for “Ruler of the Jungle.”

“My job today,” Hubbard mentioned, “is to bring the energy.”

Which is precisely what he did throughout his 107 Bengals video games he led all NFL defensive ends in tackles, from his rookie yr of 2018 till final season. But, no, he mentioned. It did not really feel like he must be taking part in.

“I’m watching all the orange streaming in here and all the people and I can feel the energy,” mentioned Hubbard as he squinted into the gang from the tip zone close to the Bengals locker room. “It’s an honor.”

With the temperatures creeping towards 85 levels, it was a on a day like this that Hubbard’s Cincinnati Kid Legend was born. Hubbard performed within the third-hottest sport in Paycor when he was a rookie on Oct. 7, 2018, and it was in 87-degree climate that he authored his first Rumble In the Jungle for a landing on a 19-yard fumble return with 2:37 left in a 27-17 victory over the Dolphins.

“It does feel like it. You can feel the heat coming in,” Hubbard mentioned. “Carlos Dunlap got the ball loose and …”

That was considered one of his first flexes as a Bengal. And quarterback Joe Burrow anticipated nothing much less as Ruler.

“I think you can expect a double-armed flex, though. I think that was a given,” Burrow mentioned final week.

On Sunday, Hubbard may solely shake his head.

“I can’t disappoint my quarterback,” Hubbard mentioned.

When the Bengals’ Joe Burrow (Class of 2020) dueled Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence (Class of 2021) in Sunday’s dwelling opener, it marked the ten^th time within the historical past of Paycor Stadium that total No. 1 drafted quarterbacks confronted off in opposition to one another.

It’s going to occur each month this season and shortly sufficient within the subsequent Paycor sport when Jared Goff (Class of 2016) brings the Lions to city Oct. 5. The Bears’ Caleb Williams (Class of 2024) is in right here Nov. 2, and the Cardinals’ Kyler Murray (Class of 2019) is about for a late December sport but to be introduced.

Burrow has been in 5 of those No. 1 dwelling video games and has a 3-2 document that features wins over Lawrence in 2021, Baker Mayfield (Class of 2018) in 2022, and Matthew Stafford (Class of 2009). Stafford is the one one who has performed each Burrow and Carson Palmer (Class of 2003), additionally shedding to Palmer in his rookie yr.

Burrow and Lawrence staged a traditional on a Thursday evening in the course of the Bengals’ inaugural Ring of Honor Game 4 years in the past. The Bengals crawled again from a 14-0 halftime gap as Burrow led them to a frenetic 24-21 win on Evan McPherson’s walk-off discipline purpose.

Burrow’s relationship with Lawrence, the person he beat within the 2019 nationwide title sport for LSU, is proscribed to saying hey once they play. He has simply as many fond reminiscences of one other Paycor win over Jacksonville as a result of it was the primary of his profession when Gardner Minshew II was the Jags quarterback within the 33-24 win on Oct. 4, 2020.

“A hundred years ago and yesterday. I certainly remember a lot about that game,” mentioned Burrow of his first 300-yard sport at dwelling earlier than a COVID-era crowd of 6,243.

The sport in opposition to the Bears is almost 21 years to the day of Paycor’s first No. 1 matchup, when Palmer and Marvin Lewis dominated Vinny Testaverde (Class of 1987) and the Cowboys of Bill Parcells, 26-3, on Nov. 7, 2004.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor not solely rolled out the identical sport captains he had in final week’s Opening Day win in Cleveland, he went with the identical inactive record.

Backup middle Matt Lee is up after being down final week, and the Bengals did not elevate nostril sort out Mike Pennel from the apply squad like they did final week. Otherwise, it is the identical. Wide receiver Jermaine Burton, tight finish Cam Grandy, cornerback Marco Wilson, and defensive tackles McKinnley Jackson had been out.

The Bengals’ emergency middle Lucas Patrick (calf) was damage on the 16^th play final week and is on injured reserve.

Burrow did not know what to make of the prospect of dealing with Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter if the Jaguars used him at cornerback. Hunter took solely six performs there final week whereas taking part in 42 snaps at broad receiver and making six catches for 33 yards.

But he has excessive regard for Hunter after watching many Colorado video games.

“When he was out there last week, he didn’t play much on defense, so there’s very limited tape on that end for me. I don’t have a ton to say on that front, ” Burrow mentioned final week. “But I know what I watched in college and on the defensive side of the ball. His ball skills are obviously great. That’s why he’s playing offense too, and he just continuously made plays it seemed like in big spots, so I’ve got a lot of respect for what he did and how he did it, and I’m excited to watch him in the league.”

Too early to make any nook comparisons (“You don’t see a ton of guys with his ball-skill ability playing on the defensive side of the ball. Trevon Diggs had the one season with all those interceptions, but I haven’t studied the tape of him on defense from college”), but it did get him a bit nostalgic for the times at Athens High School when he mauled the Ohio document whereas taking part in some cornerback.

After all, his father was an all-CFL security.

“I loved playing defense. I got some varsity snaps my freshman year on defense. Not quarterback,” Burrow mentioned. “I could always tackle for the most part. I enjoyed that part of the game … Varsity big games, I would play corner.”