Cincinnati Bengals News & Rumors

Teams Expected To Call Bengals On QB Joe Burrow

By Ely Allen | at December 27, 2025 10:02 pm

Four years ago, a second-year starting quarterback in Joe Burrow was following up a rookie campaign that ended with season-ending knee surgery to repair tears to his ACL and MCL and damage to his PCL and meniscus by preparing for a playoff run that would ultimately see the Bengals fall four points shy of its first ever Super Bowl victory. Still, somehow, teams will likely be calling Cincinnati this offseason with sincere belief that they may be able to trade for the former No. 1 overall pick, per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports.

Injuries and defensive woes have caused some turbulence for the young passer in Cincinnati this year. We have seen these things affect him in the past, with injuries limiting him to 10 games in his rookie season then again in 2023 and with last year’s bottom-10 defense preventing a campaign fueled by his MVP-worthy efforts to even extend into the playoffs.

This year, though, we’ve heard Burrow voice some understandable concerns that could point to a small, potential rift, leaving a thread at which several teams seem eager to pull.

After Burrow made a faster-than-expected return from an injury that many expected to end his 2025 season, the 29-year-old made some comments that drew many around the media into speculation that he may be contemplating retirement or struggling with his mental health. Burrow had simply expressed that “if (he wants) to keep doing this, (he has) to have fun doing this.” He looked back at how much he’d gone through, and asked, “If it’s not fun, then what am I doing it for?”

He made sure to specify later on that his comments were aimed at football in general and did not specifically have anything to do with his relationship with the Bengals. He also cleared up that he wasn’t considering ending his career so early, à la Andrew Luck. As the weeks wore on, reports began to naturally point to Burrow remaining in Cincinnati next year, despite the team’s struggling defense leading to another failed bid at a postseason.

Our previously most recent update on the matter — coming just yesterday — continued to emphasize that there is no indication Burrow wants out of Cincinnati or that the Bengals have any intention of moving him. Jones report from today underlines that fact, as well. Regardless, Jones’ sources report anticipation that “several teams will attempt a pursuit of trading for Burrow in the offseason,” with one executive candidly stating that “there are probably only a handful (of teams) that wouldn’t, at least, make an attempt.”

Burrow does own one similarity with Luck in that he is the same age Luck was at the time of his sudden retirement, but Jones pointed to another comparison. Jones linked Burrow to another former No. 1 overall pick that, despite decent individual success, was unable to get over the hump in Cincinnati to win a Super Bowl: Carson Palmer.

While Burrow boasts two Comeback Player of the Year awards that Palmer didn’t win, both only had two Pro Bowl selections on their résumé at this stage in their careers. Following his seventh year with the Bengals, Palmer requested a trade. When team owner/president Mike Brown turned down Palmer’s request, Palmer threatened to retire and followed through on his threat in an interview during the 2011 NFL Draft. As a result, Cincinnati drafted TCU passer Andy Dalton in the second round and, when Palmer failed to report to training camp, traded the veteran to Oakland — for first- and second-round picks — before the October trade deadline.

Now, clearly, Burrow has not requested a trade or made any such threats, but if every team in the NFL — apart from a handful of teams — is vying for his services and he sees an opportunity to have fun playing football elsewhere, the blueprint exists for history to repeat itself, though the Raiders likely wouldn’t be the beneficiaries this time around. For now, though, the Bengals should continue to nurture their relationship with the star quarterback in preparation for the wave of suitors sure to pursue this offseason.

Latest On Bengals, Joe Burrow

By Connor Byrne | at December 26, 2025 10:02 pm

Nearing the end of an injury-wrecked 2025 campaign, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will miss out on postseason play for the third year in a row. It’s not what he or the Bengals envisioned when they won the AFC in 2021 and followed it up with a second straight conference title game appearance the next season.

A toe injury kept Burrow out for nine games earlier this season. Since he returned in Week 13, questions about Burrow’s future in Cincinnati have persisted.

Burrow shut down the possibility of an Andrew Luck-esque early retirement or a trade request a couple of weeks ago. The 29-year-old added last week that he expects to remain with the Bengals in 2026. Indeed, there’s no indication Burrow wants out of Cincinnati, per Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.

“I truly think he wants to be here,” a team source told Fowler.

Assuming that’s the case, the Bengals will hope for a healthier season from Burrow in 2026. That alone would give them a far better chance to contend, but it may not be enough without significant improvements elsewhere. Consider that in 2024, Burrow’s lone 17-game season to date, the Bengals only managed nine wins despite brilliant production from the two-time Pro Bowler.

The Bengals are 4-2 in Burrow’s starts this year, but he reportedly believes the team has to “play perfect” to win. A defense that ranks last in the NFL in points allowed and 31st in yardage surrendered has been a major problem. The expected departure of defensive end Trey Hendrickson in free agency would only add to the Bengals’ issues on that side of the ball.

Burrow endorsed a Hendrickson extension last spring, but a multiyear pact didn’t come together. After a contentious battle, the Bengals agreed to increase Hendrickson’s 2025 salary from $16MM to $30MM. He only played seven games this year before undergoing season-ending core muscle surgery.

The Bengals are on track to enter the offseason with a projected $110MM in cap space (via Zak Koeppel of NFL.com). That could help the team retain Hendrickson if the two sides are open to continuing their relationship. Regardless, the Bengals will have plenty of money and a high first-round draft pick to play with as they aim to better their roster around their franchise signal-caller.

If the Bengals are in a similar spot a year from now, Burrow’s frustration could grow, but league executives Fowler has spoken with don’t expect them to ever consider trading him. As things stand, Burrow is in line to remain in Cincinnati through 2029 on the five-year, $275MM extension he signed in 2023.

Joe Burrow Comments Aimed At Applying Pressure On Bengals?

By Sam Robinson | at December 21, 2025 10:20 pm

The Bengals are not expected to fire Zac Taylor or de facto GM Duke Tobin. A second Taylor extension (in 2023) is believed to have taken place, moving his contract through the 2027 season. That offers the former Super Bowl coach some protection, as does the Bengals’ conservative way of doing business. But the team may have a Joe Burrow problem on its hands.

Cincinnati is set to miss the playoffs for the third straight season. That occurring in Burrow’s prime is an indictment of the team’s roster, though Burrow injuries in 2023 and ’25 have contributed heavily to the team’s struggles since the 2022 AFC championship game. Still, the 2024 season showed the burden Burrow has needed to carry. With defensive improvement not exactly coming this season, the Bengals did not reenter the AFC North race when their superstar quarterback came off IR last month.

[RELATED: Bengals Rejected Dolphins’ Four-First-Rounder Offer In 2020]

The sixth-year quarterback’s comments about his happiness (or lack thereof) playing football drew leaguewide attention, and while Burrow stopped short of saying he expected to be elsewhere in 2026, he did not do the same regarding a post-Cincinnati career chapter when asked that specific question. In Burrow’s mind, the Bengals have to “play perfect” to win, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport offers, noting the passer’s comments this week look to be aimed at applying some pressure on the organization.

Burrow went to this well last year, launching a campaign for the team to keep Tee Higgins despite previous rumors pointing the high-end No. 2 wide receiver out of town. Burrow also campaigned for Trey Hendrickson to be paid, but the All-Pro defensive end — after an injury-marred season — is likely to walk in free agency.

Powerful players applying pressure on teams is not new, of course. Cavaliers and Lakers fans have seen LeBron James operate this way over the past decade, but Burrow does not have a contract set to expire now or in the near future to use as leverage. He signed a five-year, $275MM Bengals extension that runs through the 2029 season. Cincinnati can hold this over its franchise centerpiece, though the team does have a history with a player effectively forcing his way out despite being contracted long term.

Carson Palmer chose the nuclear option in 2011, staging a quasi-retirement as a way to have the Bengals trade him. An eight-year Bengal, Palmer became frustrated with the franchise’s thriftiness and eventually got his way when the Raiders — who lost then-starter Jason Campbell to injury before the 2011 trade deadline — gave up first- and second-round picks for the disgruntled QB. Palmer did not pan out with the Raiders, finding his form later with the Cardinals, but the Bengals landed starters Dre Kirkpatrick and Giovani Bernard with the picks while Andy Dalton performed well enough for several seasons. This reality playing out again, however, would be damning for the franchise; that would stand to make Burrow’s tactics worth monitoring closely.

The Bengals are known to play hardball with irritated players, as trade requests — like those from Higgins and Jonah Williams, to name two recent examples — are routinely batted down. Cincinnati brass can also point to listening to Burrow on Higgins, who joined Ja’Marr Chase in signing a lucrative extension this past offseason, and being active in free agency — far more so compared to their spending during Palmer and Dalton’s tenures — with Burrow in town.

Burrow, 29, can also point to shortcomings. The Bengals saw the 2020 No. 1 pick put up MVP-caliber numbers last season, returning from a major wrist injury, only to see the team go 9-8 and miss the playoffs. Taylor’s teams, this season’s 2-0 start notwithstanding, also started 0-2 in 2022, ’23 and ’24 with Burrow at the helm. Cincy has not fielded an above-average defense since 2022, with Al Golden not turning that unit around post-Lou Anarumo this year, and its offensive lines have not been confused with upper-crust units during Burrow’s career.

Burrow disillusionment comes as Josh Allen is set to lead the Bills to their seventh straight playoff field. Lamar Jackson may reach his seventh career postseason as well. Patrick Mahomes played in seven straight AFC championship games before the Chiefs’ disappointing 2025 season. Meanwhile, the Broncos and Patriots have rebuilt their operations behind younger quarterbacks. Those teams join the Chargers as status quo challengers to have emerged during the Bengals’ downturn.

How Burrow proceeds will be a defining 2026 offseason storyline, as numerous clubs would line up monster offers if he seriously pursued a Palmer-like path. We are still a ways away from that, it appears, but Burrow putting pressure on the Bengals does represent another stage in this relationship; the extension years have not gone well. A franchise not known to cave on player demands did appear to do so after Burrow pushed for Higgins to stay; will there be more specific Burrow passion projects in this coming offseason?