Bengals' Amarius Mims Kicks Off All-Pro Quest with Dominant Performance vs. Buccaneers, Bain

Despite the Tampa Bay Buccaneers blitzing the Cincinnati Bengals on 45.9 percent of quarterback Joe Burrow’s dropbacks in Sunday’s season opener at Paycor Stadium, the pass protection allowed just seven pressures and one sack, none of which were surrendered by right tackle Amarius Mims.

Let the All-Pro buzz begin.

“I feel like it was a solid game,” Mims said of his performance as he and the offensive line stepped on the Buccaneers throats on the final drive of a 33-27 victory.

“There's room for improvement, but it was a good first step,” he added. “There's 16 more games, plus the playoff games we're gonna have.”

Not only did Mims mark his first clean sheet since Week 8 last year against the New York Jets, he did it against ballyhooed first-round rookie edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr.

Bengals RT Amarius Mims Focused on Play ... and Pay

Per ProFootballFocus, Mims posted a career-high pass-blocking grade of 85.4, which came on the heels of him allowing just 35 pressures last year on 694 pass-blocking snaps.

That 9.7 percentage was 20th best among 92 qualifying tackles.

And he’ll head into Week 2 with a 0 percent rate after blanking Bain, who lined up opposite Mims on all 41 of his defensive snaps while contributing just one tackle – a run stop of Chase Brown after a 4-yard gain in the second quarter – to the stat sheet.

“He's a great player,” Mims said of Bain. “I knew there was a lot of buzz around him coming into this game. I knew I had to protect my guy, and I did everything in my power to not let him affect the game.”

The No. 18 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Mims has been riding an upward trajectory since he arrived, starting 31 of a possible 35 games while developing into someone offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher labeled as his candidate for breakout player of the year.

Mims was asked what he needs to improve in order to fulfill that prediction.

“Just my mindset, just realizing that small mistakes are gonna be made and it's a long game and I can be a good tackle,” Mims said. “I can really be a good tackle in this league.

“My goal only goal is keep 9 (Burrow) clean and win football games,” he added. “If accolades, come with that, great. I'll accept it. But I have one goal. I don't really get bogged down into Pro Bowls and All Pros and all that stuff. I hope one day I can get some of those, but right now I'm just focused on how can I be a better teammate for my team and how can I help us win? Honestly, that's all I can control.”

Mims later admitted there is a small goal he has, and it’s something he’s trying to control.

He wants more plays like the one he had in the third quarter Sunday, when he pulled and sprinted out to the edge to block linebacker Alex Anzalone as Brown ran for a 13-yard gain, the Bengals’ longest run play of the game.

“Those are my favorite plays,” Mims said. “I enjoy pulling, get out on the perimeter, showing my speed, showing my athleticism. You’ve got to make those things count because if you do it good, we’re gonna back to it.”

And he said going back to that is such a goal that he has started lobbying for more chances.

“I’ve been preaching to (offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher) and (head coach Zac Taylor) that I need those plays,” Mims said with a grin. “Let me get out on the perimeter. Let me show that I can block.”

Next up for Mims and the Bengals offensive line is one of the best defensive lines in the league in the Houston Texans.

The Texans recorded 47 sacks last year, tied for seventh most in the league. And Mims can expect to see a combination of 2025 All-Pro Will Anderson Jr. ($50 million average annual salary) and five-time Pro Bowler Danielle Hunter ($40 million), two of the highest paid edge rushers in the league.

If Mims wants to build an All-Pro resume, Week 2 in Houston will be a key entry.

“I don't look at it like that,” he said. “I look at it as an opportunity to play football. I look at it as an opportunity to go out there and get better in Week 2.

“I know I've got a large task ahead of me with both ends, Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson. I respect both of them,” Mims continued. “We've got to go out there and play technically sound, good football on the road.”

Though he’s not focused on building his resume, Mims agreed that this is the kind of game that could help land a huge contract when he becomes eligible for an extension at the end of the season.

“You right. You right. One hundred percent,” Mims said. “We ain’t gonna downplay that, for sure. We ain’t gonna downplay that.”

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