The Key for the week of December 15, 2025
The Answer is Always Money…
Or how to spend it, depending on the circumstance. For the Bengals, the money went to Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase. That leaves not a lot, at least in NFL terms, for premium players on the defensive side, for a bulked-up offensive line or, in Sunday’s case, for snow blowers to clear the seats in Paycor Stadium before the game. Sunday’s game not only sealed the Bengals’ 2025 fate, it showed fans that whether you have Joe Burrow, Joe Flacco, Joe Montana or Mean Joe Green on the field, the team just isn’t very good. With three games to go, it’s “wait until next year” for some, while others are tired of waiting and already have decided to forego season tickets. The Bengalization of the team is in full force.
For the Reds, even $25 M wasn’t enough..
And while Kyle Schwarber said all the right things about the Reds’ pitch to have him play for his near-hometown team, it was not a shock when he returned to the Phillies for $30 M a year for five years. The leftfielder would have plugged a gaping hole in that position for the Reds’ defense, while bringing in a slugger the likes of which Reds fans haven’t seen since the days of Adam Dunn. His 56 home runs and 132 RBIs from 2025 would have been a ticket seller and show stopper at Great American Ball Park, but the only time Reds fans will get to see him now is when Philadelphia comes to town. Who will be plan B, C or D for the Reds? The Hot Stove League could be even hotter if the Redlegs don’t make significant moves to support the young talent on this team that’s getting older every year.
And speaking of money…
Ben senses a theme here when it comes to Cincinnati sports. UC Bearcats’ quarterback Brendan Sorsby has parlayed two solid years in Clifton into what could be a huge payday in his next stop. Sorsby, you might remember, started his career at IU then left for UC, where he helped the Bearcats become relevant in the Big XII. Now, he says he’ll skip the Liberty Bowl game against Navy to enter the transfer portal, where his next payday could be as high as $4 million, according to some reports, if he chooses to keep his eligibility and not enter the NFL Draft. Who could pony up that kind of money? Well, just about any school with the name “Texas” in it, Texas Tech being the school most often mentioned. Tech pays its now-starting quarterback, Behren Morton, an estimated $1.7 million with revenue sharing and NIL added up. Or, Sorsby could return to Bloomington, depending on if Francisco Mendoza takes his Heisman and his talents to the NFL. The answer is always money.
Ben’s Best Bet
With Kansas City also out of the playoff picture, there’s been a bit of a shuffle in playoff and Super Bowl favorites. Right now the Rams and Broncos are the favorites in their respective conferences, but one unfortunate injury could change all that. BetMGM has the Rams and Matthew Stafford as the prohibitive favorite to win it all, with the Seahawks and Sam Darnold not far behind. In the AFC, it’s the Broncos as the betting favorite with the Bills thisclosebehind. The Eagles may be defending champions, but their play has been inconsistent, and the Packers will have to scramble to fill the void left with Micah Parsons’ ACL injury. Ben says the Rams are a safe bet, but if the Lions make it to the post season, they could be an underdog-turned-favorite the longer they stay in the playoffs. It might be worth it to take the risk on Detroit if they can clinch a playoff berth.