In what was a light week of Bengals news following a very busy draft week, the most exciting story over the past few days is that Cincinnati is a rumored favorite to host the 2029 NFL draft.

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At the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, Hopkins said it plainly: "I think Joe is one of the best. I love his game, his toughness. He took his team to a Super Bowl early in his career and I feel like he can get back there with a little bit of help." Hopkins is 32 and coming off a quiet year in Baltimore — 22 catches, 330 yards, two touchdowns. He's not the same guy who was averaging 115 catches a year in Houston. But as a WR3 behind Chase and Higgins, he wouldn't need to be. Cap space is limited until a Burrow restructure happens, and Colbie Young is already here to compete for that spot. But Hopkins naming Burrow specifically, at a public event, is not nothing.

The Bengals declined the fifth-year option on Myles Murphy. Tobin was explicit that they want a long-term deal instead, and the math supports it: an extension can be structured to cost less against the cap in the near term than the rigid $14.475 million option number, with Burrow restructure conversations looming. Murphy had 41 pressures and 31 hurries last season, both career highs. If a deal gets done, this looks smart. If it stalls, that's a messier situation — though about half the 2023 first-round class is in the same boat.

The linebacker room is still unresolved. The Bengals didn't sign one in free agency and didn't draft one. Carter said it "speaks volumes." Knight said it "kicks us in the rear." Those aren't quotes from guys who feel threatened. But Tobin was equally clear: "We're not done roster building." The names still out there include Bobby Wagner — who graded ninth overall among linebackers at PFF last season at age 36 — and whether a Burrow restructure unlocks space to make that happen is the key question. The combined 34 missed tackles from Knight and Carter last year is the number to keep in mind.

Cincinnati has the inside track to host the 2029 NFL Draft. Sports Business Journal reported it this week, and Bengals representatives were in Pittsburgh last weekend specifically to learn how to run one of these things. Nothing is official until an owners' vote May 19-20, but this isn't wishful thinking. Pittsburgh just set an attendance record with 805,000 people over three days. The Banks was built for events like this. If the team is where we think it can be by 2029, the timing would be perfect.

10 Weeks of Wing Wednesdays

Over the past 10 weeks, we’ve had the chance to visit 10 amazing local bars and restaurants across the Cincinnati area, celebrating great wings while supporting an even greater cause. We had 597 total attendees over the course of the tour—this became so much more than a wing competition. It was our community coming together to help these local bars/restaurants out after a rough Jan and Feb.

TSBDF Scavenger Hunt