Surprise Bengals defender quietly climbing up the depth chart after Week 1
The Cincinnati Bengals had no shortage of defensive standouts in their Week 1 victory over the Cleveland Browns, but it might surprise you who the coaching staff views as worthy of a large role going forward.
An obvious case can be made for cornerback DJ Turner, who sealed the win with an interception in the fourth quarter and acquitted himself well most of Sunday afternoon. Rookie Shemar Stewart flashed his tantalizing potential, too, despite not recording a tackle.
It turns out that another first-round pick not named Stewart may figure into the Bengals' larger defensive plans than anyone could've anticipated. Getting warmer?
Bengals DC Al Golden hints at large role for Myles Murphy after Week 1
In a media session on Monday, Al Golden sounded off on a lot of the positivity he saw in his debut as defensive coordinator. Among the unexpected highlights was praise for 2023 first-round defensive end Myles Murphy.
As ESPN's Ben Baby reported, Golden said Murphy brought "great energy" and that he "certainly warrants more opportunities" in Week 2's home opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Very interesting indeed. Murphy admitted in the offseason that his first two years as a pro weren't up to snuff due to a lackluster work ethic. It wasn't so much that Murphy was lazy or had bad intentions as it was him simply not knowing what he didn't know about what it takes to be a real pro.
Using that as a baseline, my expectations for Murphy entering 2025 were very low. Digging into the PFF side of things, Murphy did post a decent 68.8 grade, which is well up from 56.5 mark from last season. A small sample size of 22 snaps, yes, but progress nevertheless it seems.
Trey Hendrickson should only increase his workload versus the Jags, and Stewart did plenty to merit more action with an 88.9 PFF mark. Whatever Golden saw in Murphy, though, I can't help but trust him. While the man he replaced, Lou Anarumo, put on an epic showcase of schematic mastery for the Colts, Golden answered with a fourth-quarter shutout of the Browns.
Similar to the myriad weapons in the Bengals' Joe Burrow-led passing attack, this team has a lot of mouths to feed in the defensive end rotation. Seldom do you want to take Hendrickson off the field. Joseph Ossai is a more proven, established player than Murphy at this point.
But hey, in the event that we get anything resembling a fringe starter's level of play from Murphy, that will only help Hendrickson and Stewart stay fresher for when games come down to the wire in the fourth quarter.
Jacksonville boasted PFF's third-best team pass blocking grade in its season-opening 26-10 drubbing of the lowly Carolina Panthers. It stands to reason the Jags' offensive line will face a far stiffer test on the road in Cincinnati. Time will tell if Myles Murphy is part of that prospective havoc-wreaking effort.
Pat Maroon’s Return to Tampa Bay: A Strategic Reunion Rooted in Loyalty and Legacy
In the world of professional sports, where trades and contracts often overshadow sentiment, Pat Maroon’s return to the Tampa Bay Lightning stands out as a rare and heartfelt reunion. His decision to come back to the team wasn’t driven solely by statistics or financial incentives—it was rooted in something deeper: a sense of community, connection, and home. “I just think the community and the people that work around us are really, really good people, and I get along with everyone,” Maroon said. “It just made the most sense for me and my family, so I'm really excited to be back.” These words reflect not only his personal values but also the emotional bond he shares with the city and its people.
Pat Maroon, affectionately known as “The Big Rig,” has built a career defined by resilience, grit, and clutch performances. Standing at 6'3" and weighing over 230 pounds, he brings a physical presence to the ice that few can match. But beyond his size and strength, Maroon is a player who thrives in high-pressure moments. His journey to NHL stardom wasn’t easy—drafted 161st overall in 2007, he spent years in the minor leagues before making his mark in the NHL. His perseverance paid off, culminating in an extraordinary achievement: winning three consecutive Stanley Cups, first with his hometown team, the St. Louis Blues in 2019, and then with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021.
A Reunion That Resonates
Maroon looks forward to giving back to Lightning fans and others who allowed him to build his NHL career. He has never taken that support for granted, and he won’t in his new role, either.
“(Lightning co-owner and chairman) Jeff Vinik has done an amazing job throughout the community and making sure it's community first, and I learned that when I first got to this organization. We pride ourselves on giving back and we pride on having the players going into the community, doing hospital visits, going up to ball hockey, visiting kids camps. That’s a huge thing, and I think I've learned a lot from that,” Maroon said.
“Being back in Tampa, winning two Stanley Cups, the fans mean a lot to me. They've done everything, sold out hundreds of consecutive games. … Now I get the time to chat with some fans and hang out and be part of the community and support the Tampa community. It’s going to be awesome, so I'm really looking forward to that.”
Fans have likely seen Maroon on their televisions already, and they can expect more of that this season with the Lightning. He previously appeared on NHL Network and joined various NHL on TNT broadcasts during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“It just kind of came organically with doing podcasts and people reaching out and trying to figure out if I wanted to do it, if I’d be good at it,” Maroon said of hockey media.
He admitted the national broadcasts are accompanied by a learning curve, crediting fellow alumni Paul Bissonnette, Henrik Lundqvist, P.K. Subban, Anson Carter and others for leading the way in that category.
“You can't be afraid to make mistakes. You can't be afraid to pronounce a word wrong, pronounce a name wrong. It’s kind of like hockey, kind of like playing the game. You're going to get critiqued no matter what you do and what you say, so you’ve got to be prepared and understand that. That's why those guys are so good, because they're not afraid to make mistakes.”
Maroon has already been involved with the Lightning, joining for some on-ice sessions at summer youth camps and making other public appearances for the team.
He is still adapting to a hockey life which doesn’t include playing in the games. Whatever that looks like, he’s ready, particularly because it will occur in a place he loves as much as Tampa.
“You do this job, and you know when you start it that there's going to be an end to it. So I think that's the hardest part when we retire is navigating the first year out of it, and that's what I'm going to be doing is trying to navigate through my first year,” Maroon said. “It’s going to be really hard watching my boys play and knowing that I can't put my skates on and play anymore, but that's the beauty of it, too, is that we get a second chance to do what we love after hockey, too.”
