Barrett Carter Refreshed, Ready to Respond in 2026 Season After 'Longest Year' of His Life
Barrett Carter Refreshed, Ready to Respond in 2026 Season After 'Longest Year' of His Life
Cincinnati's linebacker unit could make a big jump from Year 1 to Year 2.Russell Heltman|
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Cincinnati BengalsBarrett Carter got the full brunt of rookie life in the NFL last season.
The 2025 Bengals fourth-round pick had one of the worst rookie runs of any high-snap first-year player and was a big reason why the Bengals ranked dead last in the NFL in yards per play allowed (6.2 YPP).
Carter and his rookie LB running mate, Demetrius Knight Jr., were both top-10 in highest missed tackle rate among LBs last season; neither posted Pro Football Focus grades higher than 41. Carter ended his rookie year with a 39.2 overall PFF mark on 792 snaps, while Knight was at 40.2 on 798 snaps.
The Clemson product went in-depth on how different this offseason feels compared to last during an appearance on First Word with James Rapien. It's been a common sentiment from both linebackers this offseason.
"Oh, so much different. I've gotten this question a lot recently, and I truly feel night and day," Carter said on the show. "Last year I would go home, I'll go back to the hotel, so stressed, just trying to learn as much as I can, trying to dive into the playbook, and try to get adjusted to being the NFL, and now that I had the offseason break, and came back just so refreshed ... I truly feel night and day, so much more confident and so prepared every single day I show up.
"I show up at ease with a smile on my face, just knowing that I know what I'm supposed to do, I know what everyone around me's supposed to do, so it's a great feeling, it's night and day, and just gotta keep building on it and keep stacking."
Things did settle down for the 23-year-old in the final month of the season.
It seemed like things started to really click for him at one of the hardest positions to play in the NFL. Across Weeks 15-18, Carter never posted a single-game PFF grade below 54.8 and missed just three tackles on 177 defensive snaps.
Momentum Built
He's ready to carry that momentum into this fall, with much better talent in front of him to stuff up blocking paths.
"It's made the process super, super easy," Carter said about all of the coaching continuity and added talent. "Coming in, I was just trying to learn as much as I could, and I didn't know it (the playbook), like now I know it ... I know why AG (Al Golden) calls certain calls, and I know where his mind is. So it's been great. I'm still just trying to step up and be a leader and command the attention of the whole team and my side of the ball. So just got to keep building on it. We've had a really good offseason, and we brought in some really good additions, too. So got to keep building that chemistry."
Carter is ready to put the hardest year of his life behind him and start really thriving in the league more consistently.
He will be a major factor in Cincinnati's needed defensive rise this coming season.
"They say the rookie year is gonna be the longest year of your life, and I was like, I'll be fine, and you truly start to feel that it's the longest year of your life," Carter said. "January through April, we were off, but last year we were training, we were doing all the things getting ready to be in the NFL. So it's different, so I'm glad that I did have that break, I'm glad that I showed up with a renewed spirit, and now it's time to go, so it's definitely a great feeling."
Check out the full interview with Carter below:
Published 2 hours ago | Modified 2 hours ago
RUSSELL HELTMANRuss Heltman is on the Bearcats and Bengals beat for On SI. He is the morning host and producer for 89.3 WMKV in Cincinnati, OH. Russ can be found on Twitter: @RussHeltman11 or you can reach him by email at [email protected].
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price subsidising their life by livestreaming
Venezuela Fury and her husband Noah Price look to be making their own way in the world by raking it in from their lucrative social media accounts.
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury, 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year.
Since getting married and moving in together the couple have been earning thousands of pounds a month, livestreaming their life as newlyweds in their static caravan in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
And fans can't get enough of their regular life updates on TikTok and Kick, which have proved to be very profitable for the pair.
They look to be supporting themselves after Noah denied that he was given £5million by Venezuela's family as a wedding gift.
Despite his wife's huge family wealth, an estimated combined £160 million, Noah recently told his Kick followers that he 'pays for everything' for the couple.
Making light of the claims about Venezuela's millionaire financial status, Noah said: 'I actually pay for everything unfortunately. You'd expect the millionaire to pay for it wouldn't you.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price are earning thousands livestreaming their caravan life - after her new groom insisted he pays all the bills and denied he had £5m handout from her dad
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury , 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year
Venezuela then asked their fans: 'Do you think I am a millionaire?'
Noah joked: 'She isn't a secret millionaire guys', before she broke into song and sang: 'But I live like a millionaire!'
But it seems according to estimated calculations from their social media work, Noah and Venezuela can more than afford to support themselves.
Noah has been livestreaming on platforms such as Kick and TikTok, where viewers can send paid gifts or donations.
He was previously encouraging viewers to send gifts on his honeymoon during livestreams, suggesting this is one revenue stream.
Both Noah and Venezuela have built substantial followings on Instagram and TikTok. They can potentially earn money through sponsored posts, brand collaborations, affiliate links and creator payouts.
Kick allows its creators to take home 95 per cent of the £4.99 subscription cost that fans pay.
Streamers keep 100 per cent of direct tips and donations, minus minor standard payment processing fees.
It is unclear how many subscribers Noah currently has because this information is hidden, but he does have 7,200 followers which is publicly viewable.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million
In one video on their honeymoon, Noah asked his followers if they'd give them some more gifts now that they were married.
In a TikTok live viewed by 20,000 he said: 'Keep liking our videos people, keep sending gifts.'
After saying thank you to several of his followers he joked they should stick around on the livestream and 'watch Venezuela punch me in the mouth'.
The other half of the honeymooning couple said: 'I am, honestly!'
Noah previously confirmed that the pair don't share their finances after they were asked whether they have a shared bank account.
'She earns her money, I earn mine,' said Noah, as Venezuela joked: 'Yeah, what you gonna do about it.'
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'.
Meanwhile Venezuela is being eyed up by executives for a fly on the wall TV series.
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'
Boasting 1.3 million TikTok followers, Venezuela is already entertaining fans with her honest musings and candid moments, from cooking to kitting out her and Noah's static caravan home.
And following the success of the Netflix series At Home With The Furys, it is no wonder bosses are wanting to draw on the Fury popularity.
A TV insider said: 'The couple are not A-list celebrities but everyone has become obsessed with their love story.
'People are genuinely intrigued by them. Whether it’s the fact they have married so young, Venezuela’s famous family or their gypsy lifestyle, they have the ‘X factor'.
'Several TV executives think a proper fly-on-the-wall series following their lives as newlyweds in the gypsy community would be fascinating,' they told The Sun.
It is thought Netflix would be likely to produce the series due to their already established relationship with the Furys.
Venezuela's representatives told The Daily Mail: 'We have many offers on the table regarding Venezuela which we are discussing.'
