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Cincinnati Bengals rookie Dylan Fairchild isn’t lighting up the awards list in the wake of the season ending.
A shame, but it just goes to show just how overlooked Fairchild’s ascension was after being thrown to the wolves.
Fairchild emerged from the other side as a key part of the best offensive line for Joe Burrow to date.
Now, Fairchild is already back training at Paycor Stadium and has sights on some major goals, as he told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com:
"I believe comparison is the thief of joy. I just look at myself and try to see how good I can be. I can't control all those other guys and how good they are. Of course, that's the level I want. But I can play like a Pro Bowler. I can play like an All-Pro. At the end of the day, I don't make decisions. I just keep playing. Control what I can control."
RELATED: Bengals draft outlook: The last 10 picks at No. 10 overall
While Fairchild wasn’t perfect, he ranked 25th out of 81 guards in pass-blocking grade at Pro Football Focus. His production and instant-starting ability certainly weren’t that of a third-round pick, necessarily.
This is especially notable in Cincinnati, a franchise that has long struggled to find and develop nearly any lineman at all since the ill-fated losses of Andrew Whitworth and Kevin Zeitler.
Combined with former first-rounder Amarius Mims, Fairchild is now a key cornerstone of the future for the Bengals offense. And those goals he’s talking about? There’s flashes on film already that it’s not just talk.
RELATED: Bengals players who regressed the most in 2025
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals rookie already back training, sets major goals
Continue reading...
A shame, but it just goes to show just how overlooked Fairchild’s ascension was after being thrown to the wolves.
Fairchild emerged from the other side as a key part of the best offensive line for Joe Burrow to date.
Now, Fairchild is already back training at Paycor Stadium and has sights on some major goals, as he told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com:
"I believe comparison is the thief of joy. I just look at myself and try to see how good I can be. I can't control all those other guys and how good they are. Of course, that's the level I want. But I can play like a Pro Bowler. I can play like an All-Pro. At the end of the day, I don't make decisions. I just keep playing. Control what I can control."
RELATED: Bengals draft outlook: The last 10 picks at No. 10 overall
While Fairchild wasn’t perfect, he ranked 25th out of 81 guards in pass-blocking grade at Pro Football Focus. His production and instant-starting ability certainly weren’t that of a third-round pick, necessarily.
This is especially notable in Cincinnati, a franchise that has long struggled to find and develop nearly any lineman at all since the ill-fated losses of Andrew Whitworth and Kevin Zeitler.
Combined with former first-rounder Amarius Mims, Fairchild is now a key cornerstone of the future for the Bengals offense. And those goals he’s talking about? There’s flashes on film already that it’s not just talk.
RELATED: Bengals players who regressed the most in 2025
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals rookie already back training, sets major goals
Continue reading...
