A team captain in each of his three seasons with the Bengals, Karras became a vocal leader in the locker room almost immediately after signing with Cincinnati as an unrestricted free agent in the 2022 offseason ... On the field, he has started 53 consecutive games at center for the Bengals, lining up for 99.5 percent of offensive snaps in that span (3514 of 3533) ... Off the field, he has hosted numerous community events and was the team's 2023 nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, in recognition of his work with Indianapolis-based Village of Merici through his fan-favorite "Cincy Hat" ... Has experience at all three interior O-line spots, as in addition to center he has started 12 career games at LG and five at RG ... Spent five of first six seasons (2016-19, '21) with New England, and one ('20) with Miami ... Won Super Bowls with Patriots in 2016 and '18.
Selected by New England in sixth round of 2016 NFL Draft (221st overall) ... Signed with Patriots on 5-6-16 ... Waived by Patriots on 9-2-17 ... Signed to Patriots practice squad on 9-3-17 ... Signed to Patriots roster on 9-7-17 ... Patriots contract expired 3-18-20; became unrestricted free agent ... Signed with Miami as unrestricted free agent on 3-20-20 ... Dolphins contract expired on 3-17-21; became unrestricted free agent ... Signed with New England as unrestricted free agent on 3-19-21 ... Patriots contract expired on 3-16-22; became unrestricted free agent ... Signed with Cincinnati as unrestricted free agent on 3-17-22 ... Signed contract extension with Bengals on 6-13-24.
2016—Played in all 16 regular-season games (one start at RG) and all three postseason contests as a rookie for New England team that won Super Bowl LI ... Started at RG in NFL debut on Sept. 11 at Arizona ... Was reserve lineman for remainder of regular season and postseason ... Played three snaps on special teams in Super Bowl LI vs. Atlanta.
2017—Played in all 16 regular-season games (two starts at C) and three postseason games for New England ... Both starts came in place of injured starter David Andrews ... Made first career start at C on Nov. 19 vs. Oakland in Mexico City ... Started at C again the next week on Nov. 26 vs. Miami.
2018—Played in 13 regular-season games (two starts at RG) and all three postseason contests for New England ... Started on Nov. 4 vs. Green Bay and Nov. 11 at Tennessee, both in place of injured Shaq Mason ... Played four special teams snaps in Super Bowl LIII vs. L.A. Rams.
2019—Played and started 15 games for New England ... Inactive Dec. 8 vs. Kansas City (knee) ... Made first postseason start (at C) in Wild Card Playoff vs. Tennessee.
2020—Started all 16 games at C in lone season with Miami ... Voted a team captain.
2021—Played in all 17 regular-season games with 13 starts for New England ... Played first four games as a reserve, started at RG in Games 5-6, then started at LG for remainder of season ... Started at LG in Wild Card Playoff at Buffalo.
2022—Voted a team captain in first season with Cincinnati ... Started all 16 regular-season games and all three postseason games at C ... Played 99.4 percent of team's offensive snaps (1099 of 1106) ... Helped new-look offensive line allow just 14 sacks in second half of regular season, after 30 in first half ... Run blocked for HB Joe Mixon's 153 rushing yards and four TDs on Nov. 6 vs. Carolina ... On Dec. 4 vs. Kansas City, opened holes for HB Samaje Perine's 106 yards on 21 carries (5.0 average) ... Lined up for all 205 offensive snaps in postseason ... Helped team net 172 rushing yards in Divisional Playoff win at Buffalo.
2023—Team captain started all 17 games at C ... Lined up for 98.9 percent of offensive snaps (1075 of 1087) ... Helped offense total 134 rushing yards on Oct. 29 win at San Francisco ... On Nov. 5 vs. Buffalo, helped limit Bills to one sack while pass protecting for QB Joe Burrow's season-high 348 passing yards ... Blocked for offense that netted 491 yards, including 156 rushing, on Dec. 4 at Jacksonville ... Helped O-line allow zero sacks while paving way for 111 team rushing yards on Dec. 10 vs. Indianapolis ... Sat out 12 snaps in second half on Jan. 8 vs. Cleveland, when Bengals had substantial lead.
2024—Team captain started all 17 games at C ... Only player on team to play 100 percent of offensive snaps (1135) ... Helped O-line allow zero sacks and open holes for season-high 141 team rushing yards on Sept. 29 at Carolina ... On Nov. 3 vs. Las Vegas, pass protected for Burrow as he matched career high with five TD passes, and run blocked for HB Chase Brown as he set career highs in carries (27) and rushing yards (120) ... Contributed to pass protection that allowed for 359 net passing yards on Dec. 9 at Dallas, while helping limit Cowboys to two sacks ... On Dec. 15 at Tennessee, helped limit Titans to one sack, while blocking for offense that totaled 101 rushing yards and 269 passing yards.
Spent five years (2011-15) at the University of Illinois, with a redshirt season in '11 ... Four-year starter at RG (43 career games) ... Team captain as a senior in 2015, and was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection (2012, '14 and '15) ... Honorable mention All-Big Ten as a junior in 2014, then earned third-team honors (media) as a senior in '15.
Hometown is Indianapolis, Ind. ... Attended Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, where he won Indiana 4A state titles in 2008 and '10 ... Graduated from Illinois in December 2014 with a degree in communication, and earned MBA from Indiana University ... Father, Ted Karras Jr., played briefly in the NFL for the Washington Redskins and earned a Super Bowl as a replacement player following the 1987 NFL lockout ... Father is a longtime football coach on the college level, and started program at Marian University in Indianapolis ... Grandfather, Ted Karras, played nine seasons in the NFL, winning 1963 World Championship with the Chicago Bears ... Great uncle is four-time Pro Bowler and 2020 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Alex Karras; Alex Karras went into acting after his playing career, and starred in 1980s sitcom "Webster" ... Great uncle, Lou Karras, played three seasons with the Washington Redskins; Great uncle, Paul Karras, played collegiately at Iowa; Uncle, Tony Karras, played at Northwestern ... Named Bengals' nominee for 2023 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, in recognition of charitable work with Indianapolis-based Village of Merici through fan-favorite "Cincy Hat" ... He and his wife, Rachel, welcomed their first daughter in April 2024.
