JD Vance visits Cincinnati Bengals practice during Ohio tour

Vice President JD Vance visited the Cincinnati Bengals training facility on Wednesday, where he toured the team locker room and watched parts of practice. Fox News reported that Vance shook hands with head coach Zac Taylor and several players before leaving with a football. WKRC reported that the surprise visit occurred following a campaign rally in Sharonville. [1][6]

Star quarterback Joe Burrow stated that he did not actually speak with the Vice President during the facility visit, according to Fox News. It remains unclear if Vance brought the football he received to be autographed or if the club presented it to him as a souvenir. [1]

According to Daily Signal, Vance returned to his home state of Ohio to campaign for Republican candidates shortly after President Donald Trump campaigned in the greater Cincinnati area. Fox News reported that Vance is a long-time Bengals fan who famously watched the team lose an AFC wild card game while serving in Iraq in January 2006. [1][2]

Vance serves as the 50th vice president of the United States and previously represented Ohio in the United States Senate from 2023 to 2025. The Bengals play their home games in downtown Cincinnati at Paycor Stadium, where Burrow has served as quarterback since he was selected first overall in the 2020 NFL draft. [7][8][9]