The air around the league feels shifted as Matt Ryan steps into the Atlanta front office as their first-ever President of Football. That aura has inspired a former Cincinnati Bengals legend to make a public plea to his former team owner, Mike Brown. But the dream felt short-handed when his co-host, Shannon Sharpe, gave a brutal reality check.

It all started with the Atlanta Falcons creating a new position after firing both the General Manager and the Head Coach, in the hopes of a new vision. Owner Arthur Blank hired former quarterback Ryan for the position. Now, Chad Ochocinco Johnson believes it might create a ripple effect across the league.

He made a direct plea in a recent conversation with Shannon Sharpe, addressing the people who might have a say in who gets a place in the Bengals’ front office, stating, “Coaches and all, Zach Taylor, I’m sure you probably going to see this, Joe Burrow. I know you’re going to see this, Mike Brown, Katie Troy, my extended family. I would love a position with the Bengals, similar to that of Matt Ryan… I would love to be the president of football operations.”

Until Sharpe shut down his hopes.

“You ain’t gonna have no role in the organization,” Shannon Sharpe’s words cut sharply on the Nightcap podcast.

The three-time Super Bowl champion even claimed Johnson’s dream of “President Ochocinco” wouldn’t settle for a Community Director, regardless of his dedication to Cincinnati. When Johnson challenged him to a bet, Sharpe doubled down, explaining the rationale behind his blunt statement.

“You want a role like what Ozzie [Newsome] had. You want a role like what John [Elway] had. You want a role like Troy Aikman, like Tom Brady, or like what Matt Ryan have. You want a role like that, where you have some ‘say’,” added Sharpe. “I know for certain they will not give you a role like that. Cause guess what? If they were gonna give you a role like that, you’d have it by now.”

The Hall of Famer argued that the reason the NFL teams seek out Aikman and Ryan is that they are “students of the game” who maintain a specific professional image behind the scenes. In contrast, while Ochocinco is a beloved figure (after all, he was inducted into the Bengals’ Ring of Honor), it might not translate to a boardroom of a family organization such as the Bengals.

But Ochocinco clarified: “I played a fool. I ain’t no fool. This ain’t nothing but a character here.”

The six-time Pro Bowler considers himself the “adopted son” of the Bengals. It might’ve been over a decade since he retired, but still, if he could call owner Brown at one in the morning, he expects an answer. Banking on that relationship, he pleaded with the Bengals (coaches and all) that he would love a position in the front office—much like the one Atlanta gave former CBS analyst Ryan.

Ochocinco went one step further and even mentioned quarterback Joe Burrow in his plea (if he’s listening). After another losing season at 6-11, Burrow declared that he wants the Bengals to “act in the offseason,” rather than hoping for a miracle. He wants the front office as well as Zac Taylor’s coaching staff to figure things out. Now, the former Comeback Player of the Year isn’t thinking of making the front office his new home, but he does plan to be more involved in the decision-making this offseason.

It shows Ochocinco is keeping tabs on everything happening inside the Cincinnati facility. Yet, if Sharpe’s words turn out to be the gospel’s truth, the former WR isn’t losing hope. He is determined to occupy a seat in the front office, if not with the Bengals, then the NFL. For now, the Bengals are focused somewhere else.

Bengals’ concern for lack of supporting cast

The primary concern for Brown’s Bengals is the roster holes, which the signal-caller Burrow highlighted as of “paramount importance.” After returning from his injury, Burrow had an MVP-caliber season, managing a high passer rating of 101.5 on average. Plus, his duo with Ja’Marr Chase forms the league’s best quarterback-wide receiver tandem. Yet, Cincinnati went 3-3 in the final six games. It’s quite evident that the duo lacks a good supporting cast.

It’s the third season the Bengals have packed their bag a month before the offseason officially begins. Third season that they finished with a single-digit record: 9-8, 9-8, and 6-11.

“It doesn’t matter if we’re both putting our all into the season,” Chase remarked earlier this season. “It’s still a team effort.”

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In Burrow’s absence, Cincinnati’s true lack of depth was exposed as it went 1-8. Things went intensely tart in Week 6, when head coach Taylor shifted toward youth and benched veteran linebacker Logan Wilson. Rookie Barrett Carter took the center stage, and in no time, the player responsible for the Bengals’ Super Bowl defense was shipped off to the Dallas Cowboys.

And that’s just one of the many predicaments that eat alive Bengals in 2025. For now, they have retained Taylor and the director of player personnel, Duke Tobin. Just as they did when building the foundation of the Super Bowl roster, the Bengals are poised to prioritize leaders in the 2026 draft. Perhaps, going back to old routes might be the answer to the Bengals’ crisis. If not, Ochocinco is ready to offer his advice for a certain title, of course.