It didn't take Ted Karras long to win over his new Bengals teammates.
The veteran offensive lineman was named one of Cincinnati's team captains Monday, joining Joe Burrow, Joe Mixon, Von Bell, Sam Hubbard, D.J. Reader and Michael Thomas. Karras, who played five of his first six NFL seasons with the Patriots, left New England during the offseason to sign a three-year contract with the Bengals. He started 13 games at left guard for the Patriots last season and made 15 starts at center in 2019 with David Andrews on injured reserve.
Karras spent the 2021 campaign with the Miami Dolphins. The 29-year-old never was voted team captain during his time with the Patriots.
Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor spoke highly of Karras during a news conference on Monday.
"He's made a really strong impression on his teammates," Taylor said, via Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer. "He comes in and does all the extras, leads by example, leads vocally, guys trust that he knows what to do to the utmost. I have a lot of confidence with him in here, just talking to him, seeing him every day and how he goes about his business."
The signing of Karras was part of a concerted offseason by the Bengals to revamp their offensive line, which struggled mightily in Super Bowl LVI. Burow was sacked seven times by the Los Angeles Rams, who eventually prevailed with a 23-20 victory.
The Bengals will open their season on Sunday afternoon when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Patriots will host Cincinnati this season in a Christmas Eve matchup.
