The 2025 NFL season didn’t go as planned for the Cincinnati Bengals, with superstar quarterback Joe Burrow playing in only eight games and the team limping to the finish with a disappointing record of 6-11.
So after playing in all 17 regular-season games in 2024 and putting up career-high numbers across the board with 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns with only nine interceptions, questions about Burrow’s long-term health became a discussion once again heading into the NFL offseason after an injury-riddled season.
Joe Burrow’s Future With Bengals Remains a Hot Topic
GettyQuarterback Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals
If all goes well through the offseason, Burrow will start the 2026 campaign healthy and ready to get the Bengals back on track as a potential title contender in the AFC.
However, if the 2026 season goes off the rails again for whatever reason, it’s safe to assume that talk of Burrow’s future with Cincinnati will be a hot topic of discussion. Burrow clearly wasn’t happy with the way last season ended, which sparked rumors about his future with the Bengals, but an anonymous AFC executive believes there’s no way the team trades the superstar quarterback, via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
“I just don’t see them ever moving him,” an AFC executive said. “I think all of the posturing on his end was to make sure they were doing what they could to make the team better around him. He’s still too young and too good for them to move on.”
Even an anonymous AFC scout believes that any trade chatter regardless of how the 2026 campaign pans out for the Bengals will be nothing but noise.
“If the Bengals have a good season, that will quiet the noise around Burrow,” an AFC scout said. “But even if they don’t, I think the talk is just noise.”
Although Burrow may ultimately spend his entire NFL career in Cincinnati, there’s always a chance that he gets fed up with the uphill battle with the Bengals and forces his way out, but only time will tell what the future holds for the three-time Pro Bowler.
Joe Burrow Shares Interesting Take About Playing First International Game
GettyQuarterback Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals
During the upcoming 2026 season, the Bengals will play their first international game in seven years, which will be Burrow’s first NFL game playing out of the country.
Burrow recently talked about being set to play the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid on November 8, via the team’s website, and how the NFL is becoming a global league with a comparison to the NBA and Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls.
“The game has a lot of room to grow. Just like basketball did in the ’80s and ’90s,” Burrow said. “The Bulls kind of spearheaded that. Made it global, and hopefully the Bengals can do the same thing over the next couple of years for the NFL.”
The NFL will play a record nine games during the 2026 regular season, with games played in London (3), Australia (1), Brazil (1), France (1), Spain (1), Germany (1) and Mexico (1).
NFL Execs Predict Bengals Will Make Major Joe Burrow Decision Next Offseason