Bengals Camp Notes Day 10: Welcome to Paycor Stadium

CINCINNATI – Paul Brown Stadium is no more, at least the name. The home of the Cincinnati Bengals is now officially Paycor Stadium.

The Bengals announced Tuesday morning that they have reached an agreement with the human capital management firm, Paycor HCM, Inc. to rebrand and rename the home of the Bengals. Financial terms and length of the deal were not disclosed by the team.

Paycor HCM, Inc. (“Paycor”) (Nasdaq: PYCR) is a Cincinnati-based firm that is a cornerstone partner of the Bengals, and has served as the team’s official and exclusive HR software provider since 2018.

The team, through a statement on Tuesday, acknowledged the stadium name change that will replace Paul Brown as the namesake while keeping alive the legacy of Paul Brown, one of football’s most influential coaches and founder of the Bengals, will live on forever.

The biggest reason for the move, of course, is to raise more revenue for a small-market team and hope to put more cash in escrow to plan for the future mega-deals that will be coming for Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase.

“This is a move that I think my father would have agreed to. He was always for what is best for the football team,” said Bengals President Mike Brown. “This partnership allows the Bengals to continue to compete at the highest level in the NFL and exemplifies our long-term commitment to the community.”

“It was important to find a naming rights partner that strongly aligns with the Bengals brand,” said Bengals Executive Vice President Katie Blackburn. “Paycor is a local company on the rise that shares our commitment to building winning teams. We are proud to support Paycor’s growth and strengthen the Cincinnati business community with this partnership.”

Paycor Stadium branding will begin to be integrated throughout the stadium in the coming months, with the company and the Bengals hosting a ceremony before the season to unveil new branding and celebrate the partnership.

Paycor has been headquartered in Cincinnati for over 30 years and recently celebrated its first year as a public company following a July 2021 IPO. The naming rights agreement, in which Paycor was represented by Excel Sports Management’s Brand Marketing division, leverages its NFL association to promote Paycor’s HCM services to a broader audience as the company continues to grow.

“Through a strategic partnership with our hometown team, the Cincinnati Bengals, we are beyond thrilled to introduce Paycor Stadium to the world,” said Raul Villar Jr., Chief Executive Officer of Paycor. “As Paycor continues to grow and reach customers throughout the U.S., our mission of empowering leaders to build winning teams perfectly aligns with the defending AFC Champions. As longtime fans, this is a big point of employee pride and we are honored to support our local team and build on the legacy of Paul Brown.”

Meanwhile on the field, the players have Tuesday off before returning on Wednesday for their final practice before Friday’s preseason opener with Arizona. Thursday will serve as the traditional walk-through before game day.

Looking back on Monday:

• Burrow Watch Continues:

Joe Burrow continued to take part in practice by observing from the sidelines. But on Monday, he jogged over to watch his offense in end zone drills, tossed a ball and left the field with his teammates by walking off, not using the cart. The jogging was far more significant that the tossing of a football. The movement suggested that he’s feeling much more comfortable and likely wants to send a message to everyone not to believe the “few weeks” estimate suggested by his dad on Dave Lapham’s “In The Trenches” podcast last week. His dad Jimmy Burrow reported that the surgery was more extensive than initially anticipated but that his son is getting better every day. The other observation is clearly the quarterback’s weight and strength. He appears to have lost some significant weight and muscle tone but that should come back fairly quickly once he’s back in full training and lifting, which is strictly prohibited immediately following any stomach procedure.

• Ole Reliable:

Evan McPherson was 5-for-5 Monday as special teams took center stage for the day. McPherson worked with different combinations of long snappers and holders, with Cal Adomitis and Clark Harris alternating the snaps and Drue Chrisman and Kevin Huber doing the holding. The special teams worked with the offense to simulate end of half and game field goal situations, with good execution all around.

• Chrisman best foot forward:

Drue Chrisman appeared to put some distance between himself and veteran Kevin Huber on Monday, booming a pair of 65-yard punts on back-to-back reps while Huber’s punts were markedly shorter. The punting competition is one of the few true battles going on in camp as Chrisman, the strong-legged second-year punter out of Ohio State, attempts to unseat Huber, the veteran who’s been with the Bengals since 2009. It’s been an even battle for most of camp, which is why Monday stood out.

Military VIP appreciation:

Before practice, the Bengals hosted a group of military service men and women and head coach Zac Taylor signed autographs.