The Cincinnati Bengals put all their chips on the table to end their playoff drought this upcoming 2026 season. After signing free agents Jonathan Allen, Boye Mafe, and Bryan Cook, Cincinnati then made the blockbuster trade for Dexter Lawrence II.
After three straight seasons of missing the playoffs, the Bengals made aggressive moves to show Joe Burrow the team is serious about winning while he is in his prime. Nonetheless, there’s still the possibility of missing the playoffs.
With that possibility in mind, NFL reporter Dan Graziano shared his thoughts on Burrow’s future, stating that it would be a doomsday scenario for Cincinnati to miss the playoffs this upcoming season.
“If they miss the playoffs again, then that would be, we talked about how they’re the only team that didn’t change head coaches,” Graziano said on the July 21 edition of “Get Up.”
“That could certainly be on the table. And the chatter about whether or should Joe Burrow leave Cincinnati. That’s going to be a big topic next offseason. This is a crucial year for the Cincinnati Bengals.”
Furthermore, “Get Up” host Mike Greenberg also weighed in and spotlighted the speculation regarding the Los Angeles Rams, which died down.
“I feel like some of that in my mind quieted when the Rams drafted Ty Simpson,” Greenberg noted. “I feel like the talk in the league, when you do this job for a living, you just hear people chattering. The chatter was the Rams want Burrow when Stafford retires, but then they go and draft Ty Simpson to stash him on their bench. So that seems to be over.”
Joe Burrow Isn’t Fueling Speculation on Future With Bengals
Last season with the Bengals, Burrow played 478 snaps, leading to a 91.8 overall PFF grade. Moreover, he threw for 1,809 yards and 17 touchdowns against five interceptions while recording 18 big-time throws and two turnover-worthy plays.
Despite the speculation on Burrow’s future, Graziano admits that none of this is coming from the player, as it’s all media-driven.
“It needs to be said that Joe Burrow has never expressed a sentiment of wanting out in Cincinnati, even though before he got drafted, people were doing this with him,” Graziano added. “So my point is this: Whether he wants out or not, this is going to be a topic. And that’s not really, if you’re the Bengals, what you want people talking about.”
Another Insider Recently Weighed In on Joe Burrow’s Future
Graziano isn’t the only insider who has speculated on Burrow’s future with the Bengals this offseason with a major season ahead.
Recently, Sports Illustrated’s NFL insider Albert Breer shared his thoughts on Burrow’s future after receiving a question about whether the quarterback will spend his entire career in Cincinnati.
“This sort of question would’ve been preposterous 20 years ago,” Breer wrote in his May 6 mailbag article. “But based on where the NFL is now, and where professional sports are in general, when it comes to player movement, it’s hard to rule out the idea that Joe Burrow could end up elsewhere.
“If you really want to dig into it, I think the most relevant case study for Burrow’s future is Matthew Stafford. Burrow is now 29, and six seasons into his career, having made the playoffs twice, advancing to the AFC title game on both occasions, and reaching the Super Bowl after his second season as a pro.”
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