Chase Brown Pledges Pro Bowl Bonus to Build Homeless Shelter if Bengals Win
In a season already filled with bold headlines, Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown has made one of the most selfless promises yet. The young star declared that he will donate his entire Pro Bowl bonus to fund the creation of a homeless shelter in Cincinnati — but only if the Bengals bring home a victory.
Brown revealed his pledge in an emotional moment following practice this week, drawing admiration from teammates, coaches, and fans alike.
“Cincinnati has given me everything — support, love, belief,” Brown said. “If we win, my entire Pro Bowl check is going toward building a shelter for families who don’t have a roof over their heads. Winning is about more than football; it’s about lifting up this community.”
The Pro Bowl bonus can be a significant sum, ranging from $80,000 to $100,000 depending on performance and team success. For Brown, however, it’s not about the money — it’s about the message. By tying his charitable act to a Bengals win, he has infused both the team’s playoff aspirations and the city’s hopes with deeper meaning.
Head coach Zac Taylor applauded the gesture, saying it reflects the character of the players the Bengals are building around.
“What Chase is doing is extraordinary,” Taylor said. “He’s not just inspiring our locker room, he’s inspiring Cincinnati. It’s a reminder that football can make a real difference.”
Brown’s planned shelter would provide dozens of beds, hot meals, and essential support services for Cincinnati’s homeless population. Local charities have already expressed interest in partnering with him should the vision come to life.
Teammates echoed support for Brown’s cause, noting that his passion for giving back has energized the locker room. Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase called it “a win that would mean everything,” while quarterback Joe Burrow said it was another reason the Bengals are “fighting for more than just trophies.”
For Brown, the mission is clear: winning on the field is just the beginning.
“A Super Bowl is the dream,” Brown added. “But helping this city, making sure no kid has to wonder where they’ll sleep at night — that’s a legacy I want to leave behind.”
As the Bengals push forward this season, fans now have even more reason to cheer — not only for touchdowns and victories, but for the chance to see football transform lives off the field.
Bruins, Flyers, and Blackhawks: Who’s Ready to Shock the NHL and Go From Worst to First?
It’s hard to go from worst to first in the NHL. For a rebuilding team to make the leap from last place in a division to the top of it is almost impossible. Last season, the closest team to doing it was the Montreal Canadiens, who were the final wild card team in the Eastern Conference. Otherwise, none of the bottom feeders were close.
The four teams that finished last season with the worst record in their divisions were the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, and San Jose Sharks. They all have their cases to go from worst to first, and the question is which team can make the big leaps.
4. Chicago Blackhawks
Last season was a forgettable one for the Blackhawks. They were in season two of the Connor Bedard era and expected to be more competitive. Instead, the Blackhawks took a step back and are back to the drawing board, at least when it comes to their head coach, who is now Jeff Blashill.
The good news is that the Blackhawks are building around Bedard and Frank Nazar, who should be better with another season under their belts. They also have more prospects on the way who can make an impact this season, notably Kevin Korchinski, who can be a staple on the defense.
That said, it’s hard seeing the Blackhawks in the playoff conversation, much less in first place in the division. The Central Division, particularly, is a tough one to win with multiple juggernauts at the top, so even if the Blackhawks sneak into the playoffs, they’ll be far from the first-place spot in the division.
3. San Jose Sharks
The Sharks are the team with the most promising rebuild in the NHL. Macklin Celebrini is becoming the superstar to build around, and the rest of the young core is taking shape as well. There’s plenty of reason to believe they’ll be a Cup contender down the road.
The problem is that the Sharks are still in the early phases of their rebuild and multiple years away from contending for a Stanley Cup. They lost 62 of their 82 games last season and are still building up the core. Michael Misa, for example, might not be on the roster this season, and if he is, it’s unlikely he’s a high-impact center right away.
They’ll take a step forward. However, they’ll probably be on the outside of the playoff picture, looking in.
2. Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers are a team to buy into as a worst-to-first option (interestingly, the Pittsburgh Penguins finished last season with a better record than their Pennsylvania rival). They have their question marks with center, defense, and goaltending. Plus, the Flyers are rebuilding, putting them at least one season away from a leap to the top of the standings. That said, they still have the pieces to rise in the division.
Matvei Michkov is the star to build around and already looks like a difference-maker. The Flyers also have plenty of young players on the roster, with offseason addition Trevor Zegras being a wild card. Those players and a prospect or two can join an NHL team that already has Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim as leaders of the team.
There’s also a coach who can take this team to the next level. Rick Tocchet is a retread coach who has his downsides. However, he’s known for getting the most out of his star players, especially the young stars, and the Flyers have a few of those. This is a team that’s lacked stability behind the bench for a while, and Tocchet can provide that to allow them to sneak up on the rest of the division.
1. Boston Bruins
For all the questions with the Bruins’ rebuild and their roster as a whole, they still look like the team that can go from worst to first. Even with how they unraveled last season and have issues at every position, they can look at last season as an outlier and make a jump in the standings.
The turnaround starts with David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy leading the forwards and the defense. Pastrnak is one of the game’s elite wingers and can end up in the Hart Trophy conversation, while McAvoy, a sure starter on the USA Olympic team, can end up as a Norris Trophy-caliber defenseman.
Then, the Bruins get rebound seasons from Elias Lindholm at center and Jeremy Swayman in the net. Throw in a healthy Hampus Lindholm to help out the defense, and they can be a great team.
