Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals will want to stay longer at work and it's not because of free pizza.
On Tuesday, the Bengals revealed its new lair, with Burrow finding Cincy's renovated locker room exceptionally alluring.
“It’s sick. The more we continue to invest in stuff like this, the more comfortable the players are going to be. We’re going to love coming into work,” Burrow said, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
“I’m really happy with it. It’s quite an upgrade. Credit to ownership for putting this all together,” Burrow added.
It appears that the Bengals management took the team's poor locker room grade it got from the NFL Players Association poll back in February. Cincinnati got a D+ grade according to that poll, which revealed that around half of all the showers in the locker room were not functioning properly and that the water pressure was subpar. It also reported a lack of warm water.
There is no reason for the Bengals to feel ashamed of their locker room now, with Cincinnati seemingly reaching down its pocket to provide enough funds for the renovation. By the looks of it, the entire project cost a lot.
In a video posted by the Bengals on X (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter), Burrow along with his top weapons in wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins were seen checking out the improved amenities and look of their locker room.
Even Bengals head coach Zac Taylor was amazed by the locker room.
“It's unbelievable. The players are going to love all the features in the new locker room,” Taylor said (h/t the Bengals' official website). “This is an investment in our football team and shows the organization's commitment to delivering a top-tier, player-friendly environment. We appreciate the Brown and Blackburn families' leadership and support on this project.”
As noted by Schefter, the Bengals' new place has”upgraded lockers and restroom facilities, circadian rhythm lighting that can sync to music from the new sound system, and increased Wi-Fi for better connectivity.”
Among other details about the refurbished locker room are two electrical outlets per locker in addition to a wireless phone charger. The height of each locker is 10 feet four inches and tips the scales at 800 pounds. An engraved “Paul E. Brown” signature is also engraved in them.
Will the Bengals be as sweet on the field as their renovated space?
The hope for the Bengals is that their new locker room will, in its own way, help them produce better results on the field, beginning in the 2024 NFL season. Just a few years from a Super Bowl appearance, the Bengals have taken a step back in the 2023 season where they finished with just a 9-8 record and missed the boat to the playoffs.
Burrow's season-ending wrist injury did not help Cincinnati in 2023 and despite the best efforts by Jake Browning under center, the Bengals failed to compete beyond the regular season.
But with Burrow now getting full clearance for contact in time for training camp, the expectation for Cincinnati is high again.
Burrow and the Bengals are scheduled to open their 2024 NFL campaign at home against the visiting New England Patriots on Sep. 8.
It would be nice for the Bengals to win their first game of the season and celebrate it in their cool new den.
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