FOXBORO — The Bengals weren’t just getting a solid interior offensive lineman when they signed Ted Karras to a three-year, $18 million contract last March. They were getting a one-of-a-kind leader and team captain.
The Patriots drafted him in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL draft out of Illinois. They drafted him as an interior lineman who would provide depth and learn the ways of great offensive line play from the guru of offensive line coaches in Dante Scarnecchia.
He made the Patriots 53-man roster and was the starting right guard in the season opener against the Cardinals due to the injuries of Shaq Mason and Jonathan Cooper. That was the same game that Jimmy Garoppolo started for the suspended Tom Brady.
The Patriots beat the Cardinals, 23-21, and the Patriots would go onto beat the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI in Houston. Karras recalled this week the speech that Bill Belichick gave at the ring ceremony.
“He gave a speech at the ring party after I won my first Super Bowl,” Karras said. “He gave us three moments where he knew we had a good team. And the first one was we beat the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday night football in Week 1, and that was my first game ever in the league, I started and I took a lot of pride in that.”
Karras split time with Mason in Week 2 but was reverted to a reserve role for the rest of the season after Mason resumed his starting role in Week 3. Karras contributed to the Patriots finishing with a 14–2 record and earning the top-seed for the AFC playoffs.
I asked Belichick what he remembers about Karras and the impact he had here in his two separate stints (2016-19, 2021) with the Patriots?
“Great, yeah. Ted’s – all positive. Came in as a rookie, worked hard. Got bounced around a lot but he hung in there. Was on the practice squad for a short time, I think his second year. David [Andrews] got hurt, started at center all year,” Belichick told me. “Tough, good energy, smart, plays hard, always plays with high effort.”
When you play with the likes of Tom Brady, Devin McCourty, Matthew Slater, it’s hard not to pick up the traits of leadership. It’s one of the parts of Karras’ game and personality that drew Duke Tobin, Zac Taylor and the Bengals to the 29-year-old native of Indianapolis.
Karras was elected as one of the three captains on the Bengals offense, along with Joe Burrow and Joe Mixon. Leaders are made when they can project positive energy, even when things aren’t going well on the field.
“He’s got a very positive personality,” Belichick said. “Every day big smile on his face ready to go. But working hard. He smiles and he works hard. Smiles when things aren’t going good, but looks forward to the next play. He doesn’t dwell on anything negative in the past. He’s happy when he wins. He looks ahead to the next opportunity if things don’t go as well. He’s got a great outlook.”
Asked Bill Belichick about Ted Karras: "Everyday he's got a big smile on his face, ready to go." #Patriots #Bengals pic.twitter.com/0C54SoZYW5
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) December 23, 2022
Of course, that great outlook carries over off the field, with his work with the Village of Merici.
Karras can be spotted in the locker room proudly wearing “The Cincy Hat”. The project is a partnership between Karras and Village of Merici to raise money to provide housing and services for adults with developmental disabilities.
Now, that good guy image gets tossed to the side when he feels disrespected or his teammates are in peril. The most obvious example of this came at the end of the Tennessee game, when Jeffery Simmons took liberties with him by shoving and punching him after the snaps in victory formation.
Karras famously told Tennessee where they could stick their attitudes as he traipsed and stomped off the field.
“RIGHT UP YOURS”
Ted Karras really doesn’t like Tennesseepic.twitter.com/thhDN4uu3h
— OutKick (@Outkick) November 27, 2022
“You could tell he was going to bring a lot of energy and that’s something we didn’t really have on the O-line before that,” said Joe Burrow. “It’s been great to have him, because when you have a guy like that on the front, not just in game, but in the locker room where I’m always talking about how great our locker room is and how important that is to winning, Ted is the ultimate locker room guy and that’s what you need out of your center.”
Karras will do his best to remind Belichick of those on-field qualities when the two teams meet on Christmas Eve at his old home.
