CINCINNATI — The cold never bothered them anyway. Bengals fans flooded Paul Brown Stadium Monday night to welcome their favorite team back to the Queen City after a historic season.
The Bengals arrived at CVG Airport at around 7 p.m., less than 24 hours after a 23-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI. After the game, players and coaches spoke about how badly they wanted the win for their teammates and the city.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said the loss was disappointing, but acknowledged the team's success.
"Obviously it stings, but we had a great year," Burrow said. "We still have something to celebrate."
Fans made sure to celebrate as they waited for the team to return home, watching highlights from the postseason and chanting "Who Dey" hours before team buses pulled into the stadium. When the Bengals arrived, fans cheered and held up signs celebrating the team's success — one sign stating, "It's still us."
While the outcome was not what fans hoped for, many said they were proud to see how far the team has come.
"I mean, it's a Super Bowl — they came back from the Super Bowl," Matt Bredestege said. "We didn't expect that we were going to be here."
The team waved to fans as they exited the buses, with running back Joe Mixon stopping to record the crowd. Head coach Zac Taylor walked along the fence outside the stadium, waving and taking selfies with fans.
The Bengals reached just their third Super Bowl in franchise history, the first since 1989. This team won Cincinnati's first playoff game since 1991, first-ever postseason away game and third AFC championship after finishing 10-7 in the regular season.
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