If Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow needed any more motivation for the 2026 regular-season opener, he got it, and it came directly from their Week 1 opponents, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and starting cornerback Zyon McCollum.
“We’re gonna have opportunities; guaranteed opportunities. They want to get their season started off right. They want to get in rhythm early. And so, ball is guaranteed to go in the air. And ball in the air belongs to us. That’s the mentality that we have. That’s what we’re going into the game thinking, and we know we’re gonna get tested early,” McCollum told reporters in eyebrow-raising remarks during the week of practice.
“It’s an incredible opportunity for us. There will be no better feeling than when we take away 3, 4 interceptions.”
First Word Cincy’s James Rapien framed it as “McCollum calls out Joe Burrow.”
It is more of a challenge and an acknowledgement that the Bengals go as Burrow does rather than an outright call-out. It is undoubtedly a challenge and bulletin board material, though. For quick reference, Burrow has thrown more than 2 interceptions in a single game twice.
Bengals Quarterback Joe Burrow’s Comments Bad News for Zyon McCollum Buccaneers
Burrow has one outing with 3 picks in his Bengals career, and another with 4 of them. Burrow has nine games with two INTs, so it is not as if he does not have multi-turnover games. However, such outings make up 14.2% of his regular-season appearances.
The odds are not in McCollum’s favor, and Burrow also has a little bit of history against the Buccaneers on his side. He is 1-0 against the Bucs, throwing 4 TDs and 1 INT in his lone matchup.
Burrow is also healthy.
“I’m excited to break that back out again. Last season, I certainly couldn’t when I came back, and that’s a big part of my game,” Burrow told reporters on September 9. “It was a good experience last year, figuring out how to play without that. And so, I can pull that out if I need to, and I’m sure I will at some point in the future; football’s a physical game. But my legs are a big part of my game.”
Burrow’s dual-threat ability was indeed a key part of what made him special on the field, and it will be a boon for the Bengals if he is indeed back to form. Of course, that will make him that much more difficult for McCollum and the Buccaneers to defend.
Joe Burrow Gets Honest in New ESPN Feature
Ahead of the Bengals’ tilt against McCollum and the Buccaneers, Burrow will be featured in the first installment of a multi-part package from ESPN of his conversation with Marty Smith.
“For three straight Januarys, Joe Burrow has watched from home. He regrets his own Super Bowl performance,” Smith posted on X on September 12. “Burrow tells me he has no time for patience anymore.
“It’s put up or shut up time in Cincy.”
In the clip, Burrow notes that the Bengals’ last playoff game–which took place in January 2023–was “a long time ago, unfortunately.”
“I’ve tried to instill an urgency in the room, because we have guys playing and coaching for their jobs this year,” Burrow told Smith, adding, “and that’s how I’m looking at it: I’m playing for my job this year.”
Burrow is, of course, signed through the 2029 season on a five-year, $275 million contract.
However, the three-time Pro Bowler and two-time Comeback Player of the Year is clearly feeling the pressure of three consecutive seasons without a playoff berth.
Buccaneers CB ‘Calls Out’ Bengals’ Joe Burrow in Eyebrow-Raising Prediction