'His Words Trigger Action' - Former Bengals Coach Marvin Lewis Weighs in on Joe Burrow, Mike Brown

Lewis was talking on the Inside Football Show with Trey Wingo

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis smiles on the sideline in the first quarter against the Baltimore Ravens. Xxx 123117bengalsravens 10 Jpg S Usa Md | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Former Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis was on the Inside Football Show with Trey Wingo when he offered a look into the philosophy of team owner Mike Brown and how quarterback Joe Burrow has changed that.

The clip begins with Lewis weighing in on the reputation Brown – and the family-run front office as a whole – is cheap.

“Let’s talk about the Brown family,” he says. “Mike Brown doesn’t give a s—t about money. Just don’t waste it. The man has no outside hobbies, other than ready big ass, thick books. He just wants to win football games.

“The way he wants to win, he doesn't want to mortgage the franchise on one year, one player,” Lewis continued. “He sees a three- or four-year projection. And that's different than how some organizations work."

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Lewis worked for Brown for 16 seasons from 2003-18, and the two remain close. They caught up on the turf at Lambeau Field last October ahead of the Bengals-Packers game that Lewis was calling as a color analyst for Sports USA radio.

In addition to Lewis, Cris Carter, Brian Urlacher and Steve Keim were guests on the podcast.

Carter believed Brown will never change the way he operates, and Lewis dipped into long history with the family.

“The other thing I want to say is when the thing happened with Carson Palmer, or we lose John Joseph in free agency, we lose Andrew Whitworth in free agency, every time something like that happens, it triggers another response from upstairs to do it a different way and try and try and figure out, another way to do it,” Lewis said.

“And now with (Burrow), this figures out another way,” Lewis continued. “Signing the two receivers back.”

Lewis said they failed pick of Jermaine Burton and the push from Burrow forced the Bengals to step outside of their comfort zone and pay both Ja’Marr Chase and Higgins.

“I’m telling you, his words trigger action,” Lewis said of Burrow. “There ain’t no question in my mind they trigger action, because that man (Brown) loves quarterbacks and he wants to win in the worst way.”

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