Hawk thankful for his brief time with Bengals

After declining comment when the Cincinnati Bengals released him on Tuesday, linebacker and A.J. Hawk said Thursday he was thankful for the time he spent with the organization.

“I appreciate Bengals president (Mike) Brown and the staff in Cincinnati for the opportunity to come back to Ohio and play for the team I grew up watching,” Hawk said. “Everyone I came across in my one Bengals season was first class and made the year a great experience. I am also particularly grateful to Marvin Lewis for his interest in bringing me back home to join this great team.”

The Bengals signed Hawk to a two-year contract in March 2015. He appeared in all 16 games with 11 starts last season, but only played 26 percent of the defensive snaps.

Hawk said he hopes to sign and play his 11th season this fall.

“I plan on always being ready physically and mentally to step up and play again when the right situation presents itself,” he said. “In addition to that playing preparation that will continue, I will at the same time, continue my preparation and pursuit of a longer term career in broadcasting.”

Hawk started his podcast — “The HawkCast” — two years ago, and Saturday he will be in Chicago on the NFL Network set with Cole Wright and David Carr to recapt the first two days of the NFL Draft, specifically commenting on the Ohio State players selected in the first three rounds.

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