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.
Clock is ticking