Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown still has an ally in former coach Marvin Lewis.
"Mike Brown doesn't give a (expletive) about money. Don't waste it. All the money goes to the football team and that football team winning," Lewis said on the Inside Football podcast, hosted by former ESPN host Trey Wingo.
"The man has no outside habits other than reading big-ass thick books that I used to just look at on his desk or beside me on the plane, like godd--- I'd go to sleep in like one second," Lewis continued. "He just wants to win football games. The way he wants to win, he doesn't want to mortgage the franchise on one year, one player, he sees a three or four-year projection. And that's different than how some organizations work."
Joe Burrow has real
influence inside the Bengals organization. Former Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis explains from experience why Burrow’s words can trigger action in Cincinnati. WATCH: https://t.co/Dx3ehA7aHs pic.twitter.com/rI0zVVZbkL
— Inside Football (@InsideFBShow) August 26, 2026
Lewis' comments came after Wingo asked those on the podcast − Cris Carter, Brian Urlacher, Lewis and Steve Keim − if recent comments from Joe Burrow put the Bengals "on notice."
"I’m tired of saying next year, next year, next year. This is it," Burrow said during a press conference on Aug. 20.
Carter cautioned that the Bengals owner would change business tactics, prompting Lewis' comments.
Lewis also ulimately disagreed with Carter, saying that Burrow's comments will place urgency on Brown.
“His words trigger action,” Lewis said. “No question in my mind, they trigger action, because (Brown) loves quarterbacks and he wants to win in the worst way.”
Lewis and Brown worked together for over a decade when Lewis served as the Bengals' coach from 2003 until the end of 2018. The two had an "extraordinary relationship," former Enquirer columnist Paul Daugherty wrote in 2018. ESPN also reported on the duo's strong working relationship in 2016. During the podcast, Lewis also admitted he still has Brown's phone number on speed dial.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Marvin Lewis says 'Mike Brown doesn't give a (expletive) about money'
