Bengals top rookie gets major props from Joe Burrow after big win against Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow was impressed with the play of rookie offensive tackle Amarius Mims in Cincinnati's 34-24 victory over the Carolina Panthers in Week 4.

Mims was making the first start of his young career in the game after starter Trent Brown was lost for the season with a torn patellar tendon that he suffered against the Washington Commanders in Week 3, and he passed the test, at least in the eyes of Burrow.

Burrow labeled the play of Amarius Mims as 'encouraging'

"[I'm] really happy with how Mims played today," Burrow said. "That was very encouraging. ... To have that kind of performance against a rusher like that, that was impressive. So, he's going to continue to just get better."

That's high praise from the man Mims is tasked with protecting, and exactly what the Bengals were hoping to hear when they drafted Mims in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft back in April. The original plan might have been to bring Mims along slowly, but that was thrown out the window when Brown went down for the season.

Mims' play against Carolina was especially encouraging, as Burrow said, when you remember that he missed the first two games of the season with a pectoral injury that he sustained during preseason play. So, while the game against the Panthers was his first start, it was also just his second game in the league.

Cincinnati's offensive line, Mims included, gave Burrow time to do his thing against Carolina's defense. As a result, the star quarterback threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns -- not his greatest performance ever, but enough to get the job done.

The Bengals still have a long way to go after falling into an 0-3 hole, but the win over the Panthers was a start. Considering the fact that Cincinnati will be without Brown's services for the remainder of the season, Mims' play was one of the most promising takeaways from the victory, and it clearly wasn't lost on Burrow.