CINCINNATI \u2013 Quinton Spain stands 6-foot-4, weighs 330 pounds and is the starting left guard for the Cincinnati Bengals. He came to Cincinnati last season before the Tennessee game – on the Friday before – and was able to jump in and play effectively in Joe Burrow\u2019s second win as an NFL quarterback. <\/p>\n
The Bengals knew then they had a beast of a man on their offensive line. In that game, Spain came in as a substitute and was able to show his massive impact as a people mover. <\/p>\n
As he has shown this season as Cincinnati\u2019s starting left guard, he\u2019s big, quick, agile and powerful on the offensive line. <\/p>\n
Turns out, his stature is much bigger in the Bengals locker room. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe word you didn\u2019t mention, he\u2019s probably our nastiest guy,\u201d Bengals offensive line coach Frank Pollack told me. \u201cHe\u2019s the most physical guy in the room. He\u2019s heavy-handed. He puts those hands on you and he\u2019s going to stone guys with one or two hands. It\u2019s crazy. He\u2019s a veteran, he\u2019s played a lot of football.\u201d<\/p>\n
Indeed, the seven-year veteran out of West Virginia made his debut in 2015 with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent. He quickly earned a spot on an offensive line in need of his massive presence. <\/p>\n
In 2016, Spain won the starting left guard spot and started 13 games, missing three due to injury. That season, the Titans offensive line was heralded as one of the best in the league, which blocked for DeMarco Murray, who led the AFC in rushing. He played two more seasons, earning the starting left guard spot with Tennessee. <\/p>\n
The Bills signed him in 2019 to a one-year exploratory deal. Turned out, what the Bills discovered was a pretty good guard. He didn\u2019t allow a single sack and was offered a reward of a three-year, $15 million deal in March 2020. <\/p>\n
But a funny thing happened early on in the season last year. He fell out of favor with the Bills and Cody Ford and Brian Winters passed him by on the depth chart. He was released on Oct. 21, 2020. Nine days later, the Bengals gladly picked him up. Two days later, he was playing against his first NFL team. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s extremely bright. He\u2019s got great awareness, does a great job communicating out to Jonah,” Pollack said of his place next to left tackle Jonah Williams. “He\u2019s the veteran in the room that asks the questions he knows the answer to. He\u2019s really wanting me to expand on it for the rest of the room. I love veterans like that. He\u2019s that guy in the room. He\u2019s a lot of fun to coach.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nALL TIED UP (with a nice #BudLightCelly<\/a> BTW) <\/p>\n
Watch on NFL Network pic.twitter.com\/sjKEgx7bj2<\/a><\/p>\n
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 1, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n