Vice President JD Vance is a longtime fan of the Cincinnati Bengals, so much so that he watched his team lose an AFC wild card game to the Pittsburgh Steelers – while serving in Iraq in January 2006.
Well, on Wednesday the Veep got a closer look at his favorite team when he visited their practice facility and watched some of the practice.
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Vance visited the team’s locker room, shook hands with several players, coach Zac Taylor and others, and left with a football. It is unclear whether Vance brought the ball to be autographed or whether the club gave it to him as a souvenir.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance delivers a speech during a visit to RAF Fairford, southwest England, August 13, 2025.
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The Trump administration is making numerous campaign stops ahead of the November 3 midterm elections and it appears athletes from all sports are involved and more than happy to follow the president and others.
- Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart introduced the president at an event in New York in May.
- Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Thomas attended an event in Wisconsin in June.
- Roger Clemens introduced Trump at a rally in San Antonio earlier this month.
- Todd Gurley flew on Air Force One and appeared on stage at a rally in Georgia this month.
- Danica Patrick took her turn on Air Force One this week, as did Richard Petty.
- Baltimore Ravens players joined the president at a rally in Pennsylvania and even rode in his motorcade with him.
And Super Bowl-winning coach Jon Gruden attended a Trump rally in Ohio.
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On Wednesday, meanwhile, the Bengals didn’t follow Vance. He was a Bengals fan who followed the team he loved since he was a kid.
What’s odd about this visit, however, is that Vance didn’t interact with quarterback Joe Burrow, who is arguably the team’s biggest star.
The two didn’t speak at all.
“We didn’t,” Burrow told reporters. “We didn’t do it. He came with everyone and left quickly and efficiently before practice was over, so I couldn’t do it.”
Burrow turned a question about what happened while Vance was in practice into a statement about himself.
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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow speaks during a news conference after an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stéphanie Scarbrough)
“Yeah, a lot of people, a lot of people around, you know, that’s what I love about what I do, it brings a lot of people together, and people want to take time out of their day to come watch what we do, watch what I do and watch all the work I’ve done to come see greatness, and that’s everyone in the locker room,” Burrow said.
“That’s why we do what we do, whether it’s on television, in person, on the training field, and that’s what we do.”
Yes, we now understand who Burrow thinks are the stars during the country’s vice president’s visit.
Vance arrived in a motorcade fit for a world leader – six black SUVs, police vehicles and officers on motorcycles.
His SUV (mini-tank?) drove past a rear gate of the Kettering Health practice fields adjacent to Paycor Stadium.
Vance is a native of Middletown, Ohio. He has a home in the East Walnut Hills neighborhood of Cincinnati, so he obviously felt right at home when he arrived in town to give a speech at the FBI’s Cincinnati field office and then to hold a campaign rally at the Sharonville Convention Center.
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