"It's Just A Mindset' - Orlando Brown Jr. Channels Leadership in Closing Statements From 2024 Season

Mindset came up a lot regarding Cincinnati's slow starts to seasons.

Dec 28, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. (75) runs onto the field before the game against the Denver Broncos at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

CINCINNATI — Orlando Brown Jr. left it all on the line—health included— to help Cincinnati pull off a miracle and make the 2025 NFL Playoffs. They fell short despite a five-game winning streak to end the season. Brown wants to see that same back-against-the-wall mindset much earlier this coming fall.

The Bengals franchise left tackle had his best pass-blocking season in stripes while fighting to play through a broken leg.

"I think most importantly it's just a mindset, man," Brown said in the Bengals locker room on Monday. "Understanding that when we go out there versus New England (against teams in Week 1), we're 4-8 already, you know what I mean? We got to go out there and earn our right."

It's a self-aware tone and one that could drive Cincinnati back to its great success earlier this decade. Brown deserves a ton of credit for coming back in the final weeks and cementing a chance at the playoffs.

Cincinnai fell one Kansas City win short of being a dangerous seven seed. Starting 4-1 instead of 1-4 would go a long way towards their goals.

"I think it's more mentality than anything," Brown said about Cincinnati's slow starts to seasons. "It's hard to win. It's hard to win in life, it's hard to put yourself in good position. it's hard to really understand all those things. And sometimes at the highest level of football, you got to get used to and comfortable with understanding and pushing yourself to the limit of what it takes to win. 

"And I think that these last two years, mentally, we haven't been in that state of mind where our backs are against the wall in December and November. And we got to fight for a chance to get where we want to get. The mindset, the fire that's lit underneath your ass in that point needs to be there in July, June, August, all the way through and so I take a lot of pride in that as a player putting more pressure on myself to be more for us at those points."

Brown is a part of an entrenched Bengals leadership that could flip the tide following two down years.

One that saw Cincinnati's quarterback produce his best NFL season.

"I think those these last five games you've kind of seen that with the way that Joe (Burrow's playing). Honestly, it makes it much easier on everybody when you got a quarterback that's kind of figured it out already," Brown noted. "Just making sure that we take care of what we can take care of and control what we can control. And I guess as a leader it starts here in the locker room."

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