Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. is texting his former Kansas City Chiefs teammates to encourage them to defeat the Denver Broncos. He also said he is willing to send quarterback Aaron Rodgers on an all-expense paid trip to Peru if the New York Jets can beat the Miami Dolphins.
Bengals Star Reaches Out to Former Teammates Offering Encouragement
Brown is a man on a mission. He is texting his former Chiefs teammates, encouraging them to defeat the Broncos today in the Mile High City. He’s also offering to pay for Rodgers’ vacation if the Jets can knock off the Dolphins. If both of those situations do occur, the Bengals would earn the final playoff spot in the AFC.
Orlando Brown Jr. says there will be texts Sunday AM to his former teammates in KC to get it done against Denver.
As for if the Jets beat the Dolphins?
"I might message Aaron Rodgers to (pay for) his next Peru trip." pic.twitter.com/SIpZUhXcwp
— Charlie Clifford (@char_cliff) January 5, 2025
The Bengals did their part by defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road in Week 18 to conclude their season. But in order for Cincinnati to make the playoffs, the stars, the moon, and the sun all have to be in alignment.
The Bengals need the Broncos to lose and the Dolphins to lose or tie to complete their incredible comeback.
Cincinnati won’t win a tie over Miami due to an inferior conference record. They’d win a tiebreaker over the Broncos due to their Week 17 head-to-head win, but Denver sits a game ahead of them in the standings.
Both the Dolphins and Broncos are significant favorites. Denver is playing at home against a Chiefs team that will be resting nearly all of its best players. Notable Chiefs listed as out or doubtful on the final injury report included Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones, Trent McDuffie, Jawaan Taylor, Isiah Pacheco, George Karlaftis, Justin Reid, and Nick Bolton.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins are playing a Jets team that has seemingly mailed in the end of their season. The Jets were down 40-0 prior to pulling Rodgers against the Buffalo Bills last week, and they’ve lost six of their last seven games. Even with Tyler Huntley likely starting for Miami, a Jets win would be shocking.
Entering Week 18, the Bengals were 0-3 on the road against teams above .500 this season, losing to the Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers, and the Chiefs. However, they picked a terrific time to turn around that trend and keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
Our metrics and win probabilities give the Bengals just an 11.3% chance of landing the final Wild Card spot. However, Cincinnati has consistently overcome small odds to remain in the playoff race to this point.