WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: Wonderin' How 0:00:03.680 --> 0:00:06.439 Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Hoard and thanks for downloading 0:00:06.480 --> 0:00:12.600 the Bengals Booth podcast The I'm Wonderin addition, as I 0:00:12.680 --> 0:00:15.680 discussed the team's ambitious offseason goals with one of my 0:00:15.800 --> 0:00:20.880 favorite Bengals analysts and content creators, Joe Goodberry, but first 0:00:21.280 --> 0:00:24.040 punter Ryan Rico joins me to look back at his 0:00:24.280 --> 0:00:28.000 record setting rookie year. The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought 0:00:28.040 --> 0:00:30.560 to you by pay Corps, proud to be the Bengals 0:00:30.560 --> 0:00:35.160 official HR software provider, by Ulta Fiber, future proof fiber 0:00:35.159 --> 0:00:38.280 Internet designed to elevate your home, business and community to 0:00:38.360 --> 0:00:41.760 a new level, and by Kettering Health, the best care 0:00:41.880 --> 0:00:45.000 for the best fans. Kettering Health is the official healthcare 0:00:45.040 --> 0:00:48.559 provider of the Bengals. Now here's a quick reminder that 0:00:48.640 --> 0:00:51.720 you can have the latest edition of this podcast delivered 0:00:51.800 --> 0:00:55.960 right to your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing wherever 0:00:56.320 --> 0:01:00.920 you get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing since art, 0:01:01.160 --> 0:01:04.520 but make it sports. That's the name of a social 0:01:04.560 --> 0:01:07.760 media account that takes still images from the world of 0:01:07.760 --> 0:01:11.360 sports and compares them side by side to works of 0:01:11.480 --> 0:01:14.840 art that looks similar. The person behind the account is 0:01:14.920 --> 0:01:18.680 named l j Raider and his knack for matching current 0:01:18.760 --> 0:01:22.959 sports photos to centuries old art without the help of 0:01:23.000 --> 0:01:27.920 AI is nothing short of remarkable. For example, on the 0:01:27.959 --> 0:01:30.920 Fumble in the Jungle, there's a famous image that shows 0:01:31.000 --> 0:01:34.680 Raven's quarterback Tyler Huntley jumping up and trying to extend 0:01:34.680 --> 0:01:37.759 the ball over the goal line just before it's knocked 0:01:37.760 --> 0:01:41.399 out of his hands by Logan Wilson. Raider posted it 0:01:41.480 --> 0:01:44.399 on the Art But Make It Sports social media account 0:01:44.440 --> 0:01:47.800 next to a painting from the early eighteen hundreds named 0:01:48.320 --> 0:01:53.160 The Coronation of Napoleon by Jacques Louis David. The image 0:01:53.200 --> 0:01:57.320 of Napoleon hoisting a crown above his head is eerily 0:01:57.440 --> 0:02:01.440 similar to Huntley holding out the football. Raider is also 0:02:01.520 --> 0:02:04.880 posted side by side comparisons of a T. Higgins catch 0:02:05.360 --> 0:02:09.000 next to another painting by Jacques Louis David, as well 0:02:09.000 --> 0:02:12.000 as an image of Joe Burrow entering a stadium in 0:02:12.080 --> 0:02:16.160 a funky sweater next to a quilt made by Mary 0:02:16.320 --> 0:02:19.200 Lee Bendolph. If you want to see what I mean, 0:02:19.320 --> 0:02:22.000 go to Twitter or x whatever you call it these days, 0:02:22.320 --> 0:02:25.480 and do a search for art but Make It Sports. 0:02:25.919 --> 0:02:29.600 That's one long word and Bengals with the AT symbol 0:02:29.800 --> 0:02:33.839 in front of it. Again. Search for art, but make 0:02:33.880 --> 0:02:39.200 it sports and at Bengals. Now let's get to my 0:02:39.240 --> 0:02:42.680 first guest this week, Punter Ryan Rico made a quick 0:02:42.720 --> 0:02:45.440 trip to Cincinnati from his home in Utah to sign 0:02:45.520 --> 0:02:48.839 a two year contract extension. Not bad for a guy 0:02:48.880 --> 0:02:51.960 who wasn't even on the roster when the Bengals open 0:02:52.000 --> 0:02:55.280 training camp last year. I talked to Ryan about that 0:02:55.800 --> 0:03:01.080 and what turned out to be a record setting rookie year. Ryan, 0:03:01.120 --> 0:03:04.360 after your outstanding rookie year, it's easy to forget that 0:03:04.480 --> 0:03:07.120 you were not on the team for the first day 0:03:07.120 --> 0:03:10.520 of training camp. You missed like the welcome speech from 0:03:10.639 --> 0:03:14.639 Zach Taylor and stuff like that. As NFL training camps opened. 0:03:14.960 --> 0:03:17.600 What was your confidence level that ultimately you would get 0:03:17.600 --> 0:03:18.800 an opportunity? 0:03:19.080 --> 0:03:19.320 Man? 0:03:19.400 --> 0:03:23.160 That was that was a pretty stressful summer. And then 0:03:23.600 --> 0:03:26.600 to not be on a team. You have social media, 0:03:26.680 --> 0:03:29.720 you can't not see like report day everybody coming in 0:03:30.200 --> 0:03:33.160 and so I remember that day was like, wow, that 0:03:33.160 --> 0:03:37.800 would be nice right about now. Obviously had faith. My 0:03:37.840 --> 0:03:40.120 wife just kept telling me like, no, we're We're gonna 0:03:40.120 --> 0:03:43.960 be ready. There will be a call. And it took 0:03:44.000 --> 0:03:45.760 a couple of days, but we did get that call 0:03:45.840 --> 0:03:48.120 and it made it all worth it. After that, for sure. 0:03:48.600 --> 0:03:51.600 You joined the Bengals on day three of training camp. 0:03:51.920 --> 0:03:55.400 There were three punters in camp at the time. What 0:03:55.520 --> 0:03:58.920 did you think of your odds of ultimately making the team. 0:03:59.520 --> 0:04:02.760 I really at that point, I wasn't thinking about odds. 0:04:03.000 --> 0:04:06.560 It was more, Wow, this is a great opportunity. I 0:04:06.640 --> 0:04:08.560 knew both of the punters. I knew both Brad and 0:04:08.640 --> 0:04:12.720 Austin really well, and so that was a unique dynamic 0:04:12.720 --> 0:04:15.200 to come into because it's like we're all friends, we 0:04:15.280 --> 0:04:18.800 all know each other, but there's only one spot. And 0:04:18.839 --> 0:04:20.840 so I think for me, it was all such a 0:04:20.839 --> 0:04:23.920 whirlwind that I didn't really have the chance to look 0:04:23.960 --> 0:04:25.680 into the future. It's like, oh my gosh, I got 0:04:25.680 --> 0:04:27.599 practiced later today, Like I just got to dial in 0:04:27.680 --> 0:04:28.440 and be ready for that. 0:04:29.200 --> 0:04:32.279 So they let Austin go after about a week, and 0:04:32.320 --> 0:04:35.960 then Brad got injured about a week after that. What 0:04:36.080 --> 0:04:37.360 went through your mind at that point? 0:04:39.200 --> 0:04:43.000 Obviously, like you hate to see your friends not not 0:04:43.160 --> 0:04:46.360 get the spot that they were wanting. And then especially 0:04:46.400 --> 0:04:49.960 with Brad, I feel like, obviously injuries are part of football, 0:04:50.040 --> 0:04:53.039 but in our position they're a little bit fewer, and 0:04:53.120 --> 0:04:55.479 so you hate to see anybody have to deal with that, 0:04:55.640 --> 0:04:58.760 and essentially for an opportunity to be taken away from 0:04:58.839 --> 0:05:02.320 them because of an injury is really unfortunate. And so 0:05:03.200 --> 0:05:06.240 it's definitely it causes you to take a pause and 0:05:06.320 --> 0:05:08.360 just be like, Okay, I really got to make sure 0:05:08.360 --> 0:05:10.640 I'm healthy because that could happen to me at any 0:05:10.640 --> 0:05:13.760 point as well. But then at the same time, I 0:05:13.800 --> 0:05:16.839 remember Darren coming up to me, is like, Okay, we 0:05:16.839 --> 0:05:19.240 don't know how long Brad is gonna be out. You 0:05:19.320 --> 0:05:21.760 now have to be looking at week one. We're going 0:05:21.839 --> 0:05:24.039 up against this returner, We're going up against the Patriots, Like, 0:05:24.279 --> 0:05:27.480 you gotta be ready like this. This shifts everything now, 0:05:27.520 --> 0:05:31.839 and so it definitely it was all just a whirlwind, 0:05:32.400 --> 0:05:34.839 and all of it just kind of came together of Okay, 0:05:35.320 --> 0:05:37.640 take every day as it comes, and just be ready 0:05:37.680 --> 0:05:38.680 for the next opportunity. 0:05:39.440 --> 0:05:41.360 If Darren told you to be ready for week one, 0:05:41.400 --> 0:05:45.359 you were ready for Week one. You probably had the 0:05:45.520 --> 0:05:50.320 greatest punting debut in NFL history. This is not hyperbole. 0:05:50.400 --> 0:05:54.040 You punted four times against the Patriots. Fifty seven yards 0:05:54.120 --> 0:05:57.440 was the first, eighty was the second, that's the Bengals 0:05:57.440 --> 0:06:01.920 team record, fifty one for the third, seventy for the fourth. 0:06:02.160 --> 0:06:05.679 It's the best average for anybody who's punted four times 0:06:05.680 --> 0:06:08.880 in a game in NFL history. After that game, what 0:06:08.920 --> 0:06:12.480 did that do for your confidence level and the belief that, 0:06:12.640 --> 0:06:15.240 all right, I can be one of the thirty two? 0:06:16.040 --> 0:06:16.280 Yeah? 0:06:16.320 --> 0:06:20.600 I think obviously it was just really really grateful, because 0:06:21.200 --> 0:06:23.679 you hope going into that first game, that's like, Okay, 0:06:23.920 --> 0:06:25.159 I just want to have a good game. I want 0:06:25.160 --> 0:06:29.279 to show what I'm capable of, and so definitely didn't 0:06:29.400 --> 0:06:33.200 picture that or imagine that, like that was just an 0:06:33.240 --> 0:06:35.800 amazing blessing, and I was really grateful for all of that. 0:06:36.839 --> 0:06:40.240 And then at that point, I remember I was happy, 0:06:40.279 --> 0:06:42.719 but it was like you still out like seventeen weeks, 0:06:42.760 --> 0:06:44.640 like I want to prove it again and again and again, 0:06:46.000 --> 0:06:49.120 and so obviously really happy with the way that that went. 0:06:49.960 --> 0:06:51.840 But then it was like, Okay, I got to keep 0:06:51.880 --> 0:06:54.160 proving that one week doesn't make a great punter or 0:06:54.160 --> 0:06:58.440 a great career, and so just kind of taking that, Okay, 0:06:58.560 --> 0:07:00.520 I belong here, I know that I can, I know 0:07:00.560 --> 0:07:02.679 that I can do this thing. Let's just keep showing 0:07:02.720 --> 0:07:03.320 what I can do. 0:07:03.800 --> 0:07:07.520 We're visiting with Ryan Rico. In Week three, against Washington, 0:07:07.720 --> 0:07:12.960 you didn't punt. Several weeks after that, against Philadelphia, you 0:07:13.000 --> 0:07:16.160 didn't punt again. You shared an interesting story with me 0:07:16.240 --> 0:07:19.880 recently that you actually had family come across the country 0:07:19.920 --> 0:07:22.480 to see you for those two home games. They didn't 0:07:22.480 --> 0:07:23.320 get to see you punt. 0:07:23.480 --> 0:07:26.360 Oh yeah, no. My dad started to make the joke. 0:07:26.400 --> 0:07:29.280 He's like, Hey, tell everybody on the team, if we 0:07:29.360 --> 0:07:32.000 don't want to punt a game, our family will come 0:07:32.000 --> 0:07:34.600 out and it'll make it happen. So it was definitely. 0:07:35.400 --> 0:07:38.760 I mean, we're never I always want to punt. I 0:07:38.800 --> 0:07:41.160 always want to like contribute, but at the same time, 0:07:41.720 --> 0:07:43.760 if the offense is performing so well that I don't 0:07:43.760 --> 0:07:46.880 need to, then that's also a great thing. Unfortunately, we 0:07:46.880 --> 0:07:50.360 didn't win either of those games, so maybe we'll find 0:07:50.400 --> 0:07:52.640 a way to win without punting, and then that'll just 0:07:52.640 --> 0:07:54.320 be the perfect formula for us. 0:07:54.560 --> 0:07:56.440 You still had to do the other half of your job, 0:07:56.480 --> 0:07:57.160 which is holding. 0:07:57.400 --> 0:07:59.320 Yes, absolutely so, they at least coet have seen me 0:07:59.320 --> 0:08:01.520 go on the field. They're there for warm ups, they 0:08:01.560 --> 0:08:04.280 see enough kicks there. But it was definitely a unique 0:08:05.440 --> 0:08:07.680 because I've never done that in high school or college, 0:08:07.720 --> 0:08:10.480 and so for it to happen twice this year was like, Wow, 0:08:10.560 --> 0:08:13.240 I feel like I'm not doing anything right now. 0:08:13.360 --> 0:08:16.720 Basically, so, in your rookie year, you set the team 0:08:16.760 --> 0:08:20.320 records for punking average forty nine point one and net 0:08:20.360 --> 0:08:23.840 average forty two point nine. Both of those records are 0:08:23.840 --> 0:08:27.600 previously held by Kevin Huber. Did you get to interact 0:08:27.600 --> 0:08:28.800 with Kevin at all this year? 0:08:29.280 --> 0:08:32.280 Yeah, I saw Kevin a few times. He was there 0:08:32.360 --> 0:08:34.840 during training camp, I think when all three of us 0:08:34.840 --> 0:08:38.160 were still there punting, and so I got to talk 0:08:38.160 --> 0:08:40.240 to him a little bit again. At that point, I 0:08:40.320 --> 0:08:42.760 was just like trying to keep my head above water 0:08:42.840 --> 0:08:47.120 and stay stay locked in. But every time that I 0:08:47.160 --> 0:08:49.360 talked to him, he was nothing but complimentary, was giving 0:08:49.360 --> 0:08:53.320 me really good insights. And he's another person where, shoot, 0:08:53.360 --> 0:08:54.920 you want to look at the formula for being a 0:08:54.920 --> 0:08:58.319 successful punter in the NFL and especially here in Cincinnati. 0:08:58.360 --> 0:09:01.680 He's kind of the guy that has done it. So 0:09:01.720 --> 0:09:03.720 I'm definitely looking forward to getting to interact with them 0:09:03.760 --> 0:09:07.600 more and honestly just picking his brain because he's I know, 0:09:07.640 --> 0:09:09.040 he's seen a lot of things. Heck, he was punting 0:09:09.040 --> 0:09:12.400 in the Super Bowl so pretty much any scenario that 0:09:12.480 --> 0:09:15.680 I can imagine hoping to be a part of, He's 0:09:15.720 --> 0:09:18.360 already done it. And so I'm really looking forward to 0:09:18.720 --> 0:09:22.080 kind of using him as a mentor and just getting 0:09:22.080 --> 0:09:24.480 better based on what information he can give me. 0:09:25.000 --> 0:09:27.520 You're both golfers, so I could see that happening down 0:09:27.600 --> 0:09:31.000 the road. He holds nearly all of the Bengals punting 0:09:31.000 --> 0:09:33.680 records except for the single season marks that you beat 0:09:33.720 --> 0:09:36.240 this year. But number two on the list for a 0:09:36.280 --> 0:09:40.280 lot of these records is Lee Johnson. Punted at Byu. 0:09:40.480 --> 0:09:43.280 You punted at Byu. Do you have a relationship with him? 0:09:43.360 --> 0:09:47.360 I absolutely do. So Ever since I got to Byu Lee, 0:09:47.480 --> 0:09:49.240 I'm pretty sure Lee has been there at least for 0:09:49.280 --> 0:09:53.679 the last couple of years I was, and so throughout 0:09:53.720 --> 0:09:55.800 all of it, he would come out and just kind 0:09:55.840 --> 0:09:58.120 of check in see what I was doing. He'd come 0:09:58.160 --> 0:09:59.960 watch me punt a couple times and give me some point. 0:10:00.920 --> 0:10:02.880 And so then when I was going through the combine 0:10:02.880 --> 0:10:05.319 and the draft and all of those things, every time 0:10:05.360 --> 0:10:08.240 I was back in the facility, Lee has the most 0:10:08.360 --> 0:10:11.280 energy I've ever seen out of anybody. Pretty Much, He's 0:10:11.280 --> 0:10:13.480 always in the gym, working out and so we just 0:10:13.600 --> 0:10:18.120 kind of talk and he's just constantly checking in seeing 0:10:18.280 --> 0:10:20.559 how things are going. And so after that first game, 0:10:20.880 --> 0:10:22.400 Lee was one of the first people to call and 0:10:22.440 --> 0:10:25.200 just be like, really, really, you're gonna do that the 0:10:25.240 --> 0:10:28.280 first game? Are you kidding me? And so he's just 0:10:28.320 --> 0:10:32.160 been nothing but supportive. He's given me a lot of 0:10:32.160 --> 0:10:35.080 help and insight as well, and he's someone that I 0:10:35.160 --> 0:10:37.960 just I consider a really close friend and just a 0:10:38.000 --> 0:10:40.040 great guy to kind of have in your corner. 0:10:40.920 --> 0:10:43.720 It was a tremendous year, but there were some rocky moments. 0:10:43.760 --> 0:10:46.480 There always will be during the course of an NFL season. 0:10:46.679 --> 0:10:49.080 The first thing that comes to mind was the Baltimore game. 0:10:49.840 --> 0:10:52.160 Over time, you line up to kick a game winning 0:10:52.160 --> 0:10:56.040 field goal, the operation isn't clean, Evan McPherson misses it 0:10:56.080 --> 0:10:58.160 wide to the left, and you guys wind up losing 0:10:58.200 --> 0:11:03.720 the game. The replay focuses in tightly on you struggling 0:11:03.760 --> 0:11:06.440 to catch the ball and get it down cleanly. Was 0:11:06.480 --> 0:11:08.800 it hard to sleep that night? What was the rest 0:11:08.800 --> 0:11:09.920 of that day like for you? 0:11:10.440 --> 0:11:13.880 That was an interesting day. I don't want to say 0:11:13.880 --> 0:11:16.840 it wasn't hard, because, like you never want to be 0:11:16.880 --> 0:11:20.760 a part of one of those moments. Honestly, it was 0:11:20.760 --> 0:11:24.880 more just kind of disbelief just because that had never 0:11:24.920 --> 0:11:28.120 really happened before, like it'll happen in practice, very rarely, 0:11:28.920 --> 0:11:30.520 and in fact, that was one of the things that 0:11:30.600 --> 0:11:34.160 Darren told me, was like, those things happen. It stinks 0:11:34.200 --> 0:11:36.920 that happened, had to happen at that moment, but it 0:11:36.920 --> 0:11:38.960 does happen, and unfortunately we just have to live with 0:11:39.000 --> 0:11:42.680 it and move on. And so kind of going home 0:11:42.720 --> 0:11:44.920 that night, it's I got a lot of calls of support, 0:11:45.000 --> 0:11:46.720 just like, hey, you still had a great game all 0:11:46.720 --> 0:11:49.840 this stuff, and to me, it was like I'm not 0:11:49.880 --> 0:11:51.560 going to sit here and like dwell on it or 0:11:51.559 --> 0:11:54.160 focus on it. It was one game, and I hate 0:11:54.200 --> 0:11:56.640 that it happened, and that's why I worked to never 0:11:56.720 --> 0:11:59.800 let those kind of things happen again. But it was 0:11:59.840 --> 0:12:02.960 the definitely a good learning moment, just to like, okay, 0:12:03.000 --> 0:12:04.800 like you're not invincible. You have to be locked in 0:12:04.880 --> 0:12:09.480 at every single moment anytime you're on the field. And 0:12:09.559 --> 0:12:12.400 so again, I hate that it happened. I learned a 0:12:12.400 --> 0:12:15.440 lot from it, and it's just one of those things 0:12:15.520 --> 0:12:16.800 like I have to accept it and move on. I 0:12:16.800 --> 0:12:18.920 can't change it. Just got to move on and work 0:12:18.920 --> 0:12:20.200 to make sure that it doesn't happen again. 0:12:21.240 --> 0:12:24.000 Later in the year, something bad happened that turned out 0:12:24.280 --> 0:12:27.240 well for the team. The Dallas game. Two minutes to go, 0:12:27.400 --> 0:12:30.800 the score is tied. You get a punt blocked and 0:12:30.840 --> 0:12:33.480 it looks like that might cost the team the game, 0:12:33.640 --> 0:12:36.719 except that Dallas touches the ball fails to pick it up. 0:12:36.760 --> 0:12:39.800 The Bengals recover, and three plays later, Joe Burrow too 0:12:39.840 --> 0:12:42.160 is the game when he touched down pass to Jamar Chase. 0:12:43.160 --> 0:12:46.960 Was it at all difficult to enjoy the win just 0:12:47.080 --> 0:12:50.280 because that happened, or because it happened, Are you like, hey, 0:12:50.320 --> 0:12:50.920 this is great? 0:12:51.200 --> 0:12:51.480 Yeah? 0:12:52.000 --> 0:12:55.320 There were so many mixed emotions because again, it's like 0:12:55.800 --> 0:12:58.520 winning is not easy, so you're always going to be 0:12:58.520 --> 0:13:01.200 happy with a win. I think I was a little 0:13:01.200 --> 0:13:04.000 bit frustrated, just in the sense of, like, Okay, I 0:13:04.040 --> 0:13:07.880 take pride in not allowing those things to happen, and 0:13:07.960 --> 0:13:10.280 sometimes a player just makes a great play and it's 0:13:10.440 --> 0:13:13.720 out of your control. So walking off the field, because 0:13:13.720 --> 0:13:16.640 I didn't initially realize that they had touched it, I 0:13:16.679 --> 0:13:19.679 thought that Muma was just able to recover the ball, 0:13:19.720 --> 0:13:22.440 and I was like great, Okay, like that's where they 0:13:22.440 --> 0:13:24.360 get the ball at and so I was really frustrated. 0:13:24.960 --> 0:13:27.200 But then someone's like, no, like they touched it, we 0:13:27.240 --> 0:13:29.280 got the ball back. I was like, what is going on? 0:13:29.400 --> 0:13:31.480 So it was just a whirlwind, and I had no 0:13:32.679 --> 0:13:35.599 I really didn't have any awareness of like what that situation, 0:13:36.280 --> 0:13:39.320 how it played out, and so ultimately we do get 0:13:39.360 --> 0:13:41.719 the win. I don't think I've ever been a part 0:13:41.720 --> 0:13:44.319 of a game where the block kick on us wins 0:13:44.360 --> 0:13:46.760 us the game, because then we still had to go 0:13:46.840 --> 0:13:49.240 make some really great plays. But it's one of those 0:13:49.240 --> 0:13:51.800 things where hate it worked out in our favor. We'll 0:13:51.840 --> 0:13:54.560 take it, but you don't. You don't always get that lucky. 0:13:54.800 --> 0:13:58.479 Obviously we saw that this year, and so learning opportunity 0:13:58.559 --> 0:14:01.440 once again. You just work and you keep pressing forward, 0:14:01.480 --> 0:14:02.720 and that's all that you can do. 0:14:03.400 --> 0:14:05.800 A couple more questions for Ryan Rico before we wrap 0:14:05.880 --> 0:14:09.000 this up. Let's discuss your off season. You're back in 0:14:09.120 --> 0:14:12.880 Utah where you went to college. Are you punting or 0:14:12.960 --> 0:14:15.240 just working out? What do you do this time of year? 0:14:15.440 --> 0:14:18.520 Yeah, it's it's kind of a balancing act. And again, 0:14:18.559 --> 0:14:21.400 this is like my first off season in the NFL 0:14:21.480 --> 0:14:24.320 and so that's all just kind of a learning experience. 0:14:24.800 --> 0:14:29.040 For the most part, just working out and keeping not 0:14:29.160 --> 0:14:31.800 keeping busy because you do want to relax, but filling 0:14:31.840 --> 0:14:34.000 your time with meaningful things that are going to be beneficial. 0:14:35.280 --> 0:14:37.840 So definitely working out. I've punted a couple of times 0:14:37.880 --> 0:14:39.720 just because I love to do it and it gives 0:14:39.760 --> 0:14:42.520 me something to do. But you're always just kind of 0:14:42.520 --> 0:14:44.360 finding that balance of Okay, I don't want to overdo 0:14:44.440 --> 0:14:48.000 it because there's a lot a lot of time until 0:14:48.000 --> 0:14:51.320 we actually have to start kicking meaningful punts again, and 0:14:51.360 --> 0:14:53.160 so it's just kind of balancing that out of Okay, 0:14:53.200 --> 0:14:56.120 I'm going to take care of my body nutrition, but 0:14:56.200 --> 0:14:57.720 also I want to stay in the groove of things 0:14:57.720 --> 0:15:00.800 and just kind of keep that feel. So so it's 0:15:00.800 --> 0:15:03.320 mainly just a lot of working out, hanging out with 0:15:03.360 --> 0:15:07.200 a wife and the family, and punting every every now 0:15:07.240 --> 0:15:10.640 and then, just to just to keep keep everything feeling fresh. 0:15:11.360 --> 0:15:15.120 What your mindset going into year two. You've signed a contract. 0:15:15.840 --> 0:15:18.280 Let's face it, you're expected to be the Bengals punter. 0:15:18.440 --> 0:15:20.840 Do you have to convince yourself that you are that 0:15:21.000 --> 0:15:23.680 same guy that that joined the team on day three 0:15:23.720 --> 0:15:26.160 of training camp? And that you're fighting for a job 0:15:26.200 --> 0:15:26.600 this year. 0:15:27.160 --> 0:15:31.520 I think for me, I've never been like fully content 0:15:31.760 --> 0:15:33.920 at any point in my career, whether that was college 0:15:33.960 --> 0:15:36.640 or high school or especially now in the pros, just 0:15:36.680 --> 0:15:40.880 because I see how quick things can change for your 0:15:40.880 --> 0:15:44.400 good and to your detriment too, and so I think 0:15:44.400 --> 0:15:51.480 complacency is definitely not something that would affect me. I have. 0:15:51.800 --> 0:15:53.560 I have bigger goals for this year than I did 0:15:53.600 --> 0:15:57.200 last year, and I'm just excited to be able to 0:15:57.200 --> 0:16:01.160 showcase what I'm capable of. Because last year it was 0:16:01.200 --> 0:16:03.720 a good year and I was I was excited to 0:16:03.720 --> 0:16:05.760 be a part of it, but at the same time, 0:16:05.800 --> 0:16:08.360 I don't feel like I was performing at my best. 0:16:08.400 --> 0:16:11.280 I feel like I was surviving week to week, and 0:16:11.320 --> 0:16:12.720 so now to be able to have that under my 0:16:12.720 --> 0:16:15.160 belt and be like, Okay, man, I can really do this, 0:16:15.280 --> 0:16:19.480 Like let's show what we're capable of and let's show 0:16:19.520 --> 0:16:22.040 how we can really be a weapon to the team. 0:16:22.200 --> 0:16:25.360 And so going into year two, it's just Okay, we 0:16:25.520 --> 0:16:28.200 start out good, but we can only get better. Like 0:16:28.240 --> 0:16:30.600 that's that's not the peak, that's just the beginning. 0:16:31.280 --> 0:16:33.920 Appreciate your time, Congrats on the new deal, look forward 0:16:33.960 --> 0:16:34.920 to seeing you against. 0:16:34.640 --> 0:16:35.640 Sum Thank you so much. 0:16:36.720 --> 0:16:39.240 As a rookie, Ryan finished ninth in the NFL and 0:16:39.360 --> 0:16:43.440 punting average and sixth in net average. Here's a quick 0:16:43.480 --> 0:16:46.120 reminder that the Bengals Booth podcast is brought to you 0:16:46.160 --> 0:16:49.200 by pay Core, Proud to be the Bengals official HR 0:16:49.360 --> 0:16:53.480 software provider, by aulta Fiber future proof Fiber Internet designed 0:16:53.480 --> 0:16:56.480 to elevate your home, business and community to a new level, 0:16:56.880 --> 0:17:00.160 and by Kettering Health the best care for the best fan. 0:17:00.360 --> 0:17:04.040 Kettering Health is the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. 0:17:04.640 --> 0:17:08.000 As Bengals fans, were fortunate to have some great content 0:17:08.080 --> 0:17:11.080 creators out there, and one of the absolute best is 0:17:11.160 --> 0:17:14.280 Joe Goodberry. He's been writing and talking about the team 0:17:14.320 --> 0:17:17.320 for more than a decade, and if you're not already 0:17:17.359 --> 0:17:21.440 watching his Bengals on the Brain videos on YouTube presented 0:17:21.440 --> 0:17:25.480 by First Star Logistics, you're missing out on some tremendous content. 0:17:26.080 --> 0:17:29.920 With free agency and the draft approaching, it's the perfect 0:17:29.920 --> 0:17:34.920 time for an in depth conversation. Joe, I have stopped 0:17:35.000 --> 0:17:37.960 counting the number of times that you have written the 0:17:38.040 --> 0:17:42.639 following on Twitter or x quote. If T Higgins sees 0:17:42.680 --> 0:17:47.200 one second of free agency I'll be surprised. That certainly 0:17:47.280 --> 0:17:50.440 suggests that you expect a contract extension to get done. 0:17:50.480 --> 0:17:54.800 Explain why, Well, there's a lot of reasons. Right this 0:17:54.880 --> 0:18:00.560 time feels very different than last year. Number one, the change, 0:18:00.560 --> 0:18:03.960 I would say because with David Mullagata last year and 0:18:04.240 --> 0:18:06.639 in previous situations for the Bengals where they couldn't get 0:18:06.680 --> 0:18:10.080 a deal with Jesse Bates, I think the writing was 0:18:10.200 --> 0:18:12.400 very clear there that there was a disconnect on how 0:18:12.480 --> 0:18:17.080 the contract should be structured, how David Mullagata likes his contracts, 0:18:17.200 --> 0:18:19.760 especially for his veteran free agents, with a lot of 0:18:19.800 --> 0:18:22.440 guarantees and guarantees in the future years, and the Bengals 0:18:22.440 --> 0:18:25.040 don't typically do that outside of Joe Burrow, right, So 0:18:25.760 --> 0:18:28.760 that always seemed to be something that was never going 0:18:28.840 --> 0:18:31.480 to get crossed. And then when you hear in December 0:18:31.560 --> 0:18:34.920 that hey T wants to be here, Joe wants T 0:18:35.080 --> 0:18:37.400 to be here, the team wants T to be here, 0:18:37.480 --> 0:18:41.040 and T has changed his agent to Rocky Arsenal, who 0:18:41.080 --> 0:18:45.360 is Jamar Chase's agent. You go, oh, okay, that's a 0:18:45.440 --> 0:18:48.399 move that raises flags for sure, and you say, okay, 0:18:48.520 --> 0:18:54.240 both sides want it enough to change how your representation 0:18:54.440 --> 0:18:56.480 wants this contract to be laid out. That's big for 0:18:56.560 --> 0:19:00.960 the Bengals, and I think at that point I'm like, okay, 0:19:01.040 --> 0:19:03.520 I expect an extension to happen. But then as free 0:19:03.560 --> 0:19:07.200 agency starts creeping up, I say, wait a second. These 0:19:07.240 --> 0:19:09.719 reports that he could get thirty thirty one thirty two 0:19:09.760 --> 0:19:13.440 million dollars in the open market the second tag, that 0:19:14.280 --> 0:19:16.680 amount has been set as soon as the Bengals place 0:19:16.760 --> 0:19:19.239 the first tag. It's one hundred and twenty percent of 0:19:19.320 --> 0:19:22.800 last year's tags, which makes it twenty six point one 0:19:22.920 --> 0:19:26.120 eight million dollars in twenty twenty five. And if at 0:19:26.119 --> 0:19:28.639 the very least that's the last play you have to 0:19:28.680 --> 0:19:31.639 make as the Bengals, you would do that, Why wouldn't 0:19:31.680 --> 0:19:33.640 I give him twenty six rather than what he would 0:19:33.640 --> 0:19:35.600 get have thirty thirty one thirty two if those numbers 0:19:35.600 --> 0:19:37.440 are correct now, I think that would be the last play. 0:19:37.480 --> 0:19:40.119 And we've already heard reports that that is something the 0:19:40.119 --> 0:19:42.720 Bengals will do if a deal cannot be done reached 0:19:42.720 --> 0:19:45.359 by the time free agency gets here. I think it 0:19:45.480 --> 0:19:47.720 makes too much sense that he never reaches the market. 0:19:47.800 --> 0:19:49.760 And if you look at the top free agents typically 0:19:49.800 --> 0:19:52.119 through past years, they never get a chance to hit 0:19:52.119 --> 0:19:54.080 the open market. The Bengals should not allow it, and 0:19:54.080 --> 0:19:55.119 I don't think they will allow it. 0:19:55.600 --> 0:19:57.840 I've said for a long time that the big question 0:19:57.920 --> 0:19:59.879 to me was never if the Bengals could do the 0:20:00.240 --> 0:20:03.440 but should the Bengals do this? Should they be spending 0:20:03.480 --> 0:20:06.600 that much money on two wide receivers? And I've said 0:20:06.640 --> 0:20:09.399 on this podcast and elsewhere that Joe burrows comments in 0:20:09.440 --> 0:20:13.560 early December, which he referred to alongside the news of 0:20:13.960 --> 0:20:17.480 Tea changing agents, changed my opinion on the subject. I 0:20:17.520 --> 0:20:20.480 think Joe's made the calculated decision in his own mind 0:20:20.520 --> 0:20:25.000 that let's keep the band together on offense, guarantee virtually 0:20:25.040 --> 0:20:26.680 guarantee that we're going to be one of the top 0:20:26.720 --> 0:20:30.320 scoring teams in the NFL, and figure it out on 0:20:30.440 --> 0:20:34.880 defense with younger, cheaper players. Did his comments change your 0:20:35.200 --> 0:20:37.640 opinion at all on the should question? 0:20:39.400 --> 0:20:43.320 I was also looking at it with a football mind 0:20:43.359 --> 0:20:46.280