Ted Karras

A team captain in each of his four seasons with the Bengals, Karras became a vocal team leader almost immediately after signing with Cincinnati as an unrestricted free agent in 2022 offseason ... On field, he has 70 straight starts at center for Bengals (including postseason), lining up for 99.6 percent of offensive snaps (4625 of 4644) in that span ... Off field, he is involved in numerous community efforts in Cincinnati area and has twice been team's Club Winner for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award (2023 and '25) ... Has played all three interior O-line spots; in addition to C, 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 (2016 and '18).

A team captain in each of his four seasons with the Bengals, Karras became a vocal team leader almost immediately after signing with Cincinnati as an unrestricted free agent in 2022 offseason ... On field, he has 70 straight starts at center for Bengals (including postseason), lining up for 99.6 percent of offensive snaps (4625 of 4644) in that span ... Off field, he is involved in numerous community efforts in Cincinnati area and has twice been team's Club Winner for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award (2023 and '25) ... Has played all three interior O-line spots; in addition to C, 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 (2016 and '18).

Career transactions: 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 ... Signed contract extension with Bengals on 9-5-25.

Pro career:

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—Team captain started all 16 regular-season games and three postseason games at C in first season with Cincinnati ... 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.

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) ... On Dec. 15 at Tennessee, helped limit Titans to one sack, while blocking for offense that totaled 101 rushing yards and 269 passing yards.

2025—Started all 17 games at C and lined up for all 1110 offensive snaps ... Contributed to pass protection for offense that ranked sixth in NFL in net passing yards per game (235.6) ... Helped open holes for team's season-high 181 rushing yards and 7.9 yards per carry on Nov. 26 vs. N.Y. Jets ... On Nov. 27 at Baltimore, helped protect QB Joe Burrow, who passed for 261 yards and two TDs in his first game action in 11 weeks ... Pass protected for Burrow as he threw for 284 yards and season-high four TDs on Dec. 7 at Buffalo, while helping limit Bills to one sack ... On Dec. 21 at Miami, helped limit Dolphins to zero sacks and blocked for offense that totaled 407 net yards (105 rushing, 302 passing) ... On Dec. 28 vs. Arizona, blocked for offense that totaled season-high 29 first downs and 429 net yards.

College: 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 ('12, '14 and '15) ... Honorable mention All-Big Ten as a junior in 2014, then earned third-team honors (media) as a senior in '15.

High school/personal: 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' Club Winner for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2023 and '25, in recognition of charitable work with Indianapolis-based Village of Merici through his fan-favorite "Cincy Hat" ... Helped establish The Cincy Hat Foundation in October 2024, with goal of providing education and infrastructure to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the Cincinnati area ... He and his wife, Rachel, welcomed their first daughter in April 2024.

Last Updated July 2026