The Cincinnati Bengals are still recovering from their Super Bowl LVI loss, as they fell to the Los Angeles Rams, 23-20. Joe Burrow had a chance to orchestrate a game-winning or game-tying drive late in the fourth quarter, but the Bengals turned the ball over on downs just short of the 50-yard line. Both Cincy’s players and coaching staff have regrets from Feb. 13, but something one player wishes he could take back has to do with the halftime show.
During the Super Bowl LVI halftime show, which featured Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar among others, Bengals kicker Evan McPherson was seen on the sideline enjoying the performance while the rest of the team was still in the locker room. This upset someone, as Bengals special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons recently told The Athletic that his kicker’s unexpected appearance on TV is something he regrets.
“That’s a sore subject,” Simmons said. “That’s a real sore subject.”
Specialists are almost always the first players back on the field for the second half, and McPherson wasn’t the only Bengal to be on the sideline while the performance was still going on. Yet, he was the only player to be caught by TV cameras enjoying the show.
McPherson wasn’t the reason the Bengals lost the Super Bowl, as he made both extra point attempts and field goal attempts that Sunday. In fact, he was a big reason Cincy found itself playing for a Lombardi Trophy, as he made game-winning kicks in the divisional round and the AFC Championship Game to get the Bengals to L.A. Still, the sight of him vibing on the sideline while down at halftime wasn’t a great look.
