JD Vance Faces Embarrassing Bengals Snub as Awkward Locker-Room Visit Fuels Online Buzz

US Vice President JD Vance's visit to his favourite NFL team sparked an online debate after footage showed Cincinnati Bengals players walking past him while tight end Drew Sample stopped to greet him.

The clips, recorded during his visit on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, circulated on social media the following day. Some users described the encounter as an embarrassing snub, although separate footage showed Vance interacting with wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase.

Vance, a longtime Bengals supporter who grew up in Middletown, Ohio, visited the team's training facility during a trip to the Cincinnati area.

Bengals Clip Sparks Claims of a Locker-Room Snub

One clip showed Vance waiting as players moved through the area. Sample stopped to shake his hand, while several others continued walking without stopping.

The sequence drew comments describing the reception as awkward, with some users claiming that only one player had acknowledged the vice president.

Sample was not the only player who greeted Vance. Separate footage showed an interaction with Chase, while Fox/OutKick reported that Vance also shook hands with other players and head coach Zac Taylor.

The Yahoo-hosted report on the reaction also acknowledged the Chase footage, alongside comments from users who interpreted the first clip as a snub.

Social Media Users React to Players Walking Past

Several users welcomed what they saw as a show of indifference towards Vance.

'Good for them for ignoring him,' wrote X user @nyc_2050. Another user, @showtimehcky, joked: 'looks like he got ignored by 95% of the roster lol'.

User @kapalm728 wrote: 'interesting that most of them ignored him', while @eleanor_rigby49 described the encounter as 'One obligatory handshake and the rest just walked on by'.

Others focused on Sample's greeting. 'Well, one guy shook his hand, so a big W for JD,' wrote @TJHesla.

The comments expressed the users' interpretations of the footage. Neither the players shown walking past nor Sample explained their actions in the reports cited.

Vance Visits Bengals During Cincinnati Trip

Vance attended the team's practice after other engagements in the Cincinnati area, including a political appearance in nearby Sharonville, according to Fox/OutKick.

The White House also published photographs documenting his remarks at the FBI's Cincinnati field office during the trip.

His Bengals visit attracted attention because of his longstanding support for the team. But he did not get to speak to every player before leaving, including quarterback Joe Burrow.

The reports give differing descriptions of when the locker-room footage was recorded in relation to practice. Burrow's account places Vance's departure before the session had finished.

Joe Burrow Says Vance Left Before Practice Ended

Asked whether he had interacted with the vice president, Burrow said he had not had the opportunity.

'We did not. He came with everybody and left with swiftness and efficiency before the end of practice, so I didn't get to,' he told reporters, according to Fox/OutKick.

Burrow did not say he had declined a meeting. His explanation concerned Vance's departure, rather than the reception shown in the locker-room clip.

Vance's visit included greetings with Sample, Chase and Taylor, according to the footage and reporting. Burrow, meanwhile, said the vice president had left before the two could speak.