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Dylan Fairchild Remains a Bright Spot for the Cincinnati Bengals

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports
By Will Koshover | Last updated Nov 18, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The Cincinnati Bengals were an embarrassment once again in losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers 34-12 and essentially ending their season in Week 11. Offensively, Joe Flacco and company couldn’t get into a consistent rhythm as Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins had quiet statistical outputs. Chase Brown, on the other hand, was fantastic and rushed for 99 yards on 18 carries for an average of 5.5 per. The offensive line continues to shine for the third consecutive week in opening running lanes and protecting the quarterback. Rookie Dylan Farichild, out of Georgia, has been leading the charge, and the game seems to be slowing down for him. Let’s take a closer look at the third-round pick.

Bengals Chase Brown (30) is taken down by the defense during their game against the Steelers on Sunday November 16, 2025 at Acrisure Stadium. The Steelers won the game with a final score of 34-12.

Dylan Fairchild Remains a Bright Spot for the Cincinnati Bengals

Bulldog Days

Fairchild started all 14 games for the Bulldogs in 2024 and earned both second-team All-America and second-team All-Southeastern Conference honors from the Associated Press. He also played in 34 total games over four seasons (2021-24) in Athens, and had a strong wrestling background, which caught the eye of Bengals offensive line coach and former jiu-jitsu world champion Scott Peters during the draft process.

The rookie left guard is impressive both physically and mentally, and the early returns have been fantastic, with Fairchild’s stock rising each week. His former Georgia teammate, Amarius Mims, was ecstatic when Cincinnati selected him and stated before OTAs, “Strongest dude I ever met in my life. Pound for pound. He has that factor about him. Not just in a game, but in regular life. I feel bad if he gets his hand on a regular pedestrian just walking down the street. If it’s not a football player, he’ll probably (do damage).”

Drop Anchor

The base for an offensive lineman is crucial in almost every facet of their game. This is where Fairchild has been so impressive early on this season. His footwork and ability to stand firm when being attacked are phenomenal, even against some of the best pass rushers in the NFL.

Dylan Fairchild continued to be a great draft pick pic.twitter.com/NfqofXQFev

— Bengals & Brews (@BengalsBrews) November 17, 2025

The progression for Fairchild in the remainder of 2025 will be fun to watch, even though the product on the field currently isn’t for this Bengals team.

Next Steps

Seven games remain for Cincinnati in another lost season that will have possible implications for Zac Taylor and his staff, and Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin as well. The brightest aspect of the season thus far has been the state of the OL, which should be set for next season. The Bengals have failed to adequately protect Joe Burrow from pressure up the middle since he was drafted in 2020. Fairchild has been one answer, and rookie right guard Jalen Rivers has also played well when called upon. Hitting on both would go a long way in allowing the Bengals to focus their resources on fixing the putrid defense, and that’s a good start.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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