T
hings are not looking good in Cincinnati. Starting the 2025 season off at 2-0, the Cincinnati Bengals lost starting quarterback Joe Burrow to a toe injury early in the season and soon found themselves in a big hole, losing their next out of nine games to fall to 3-8. Even with Burrow returning from injury on Thanksgiving, the Bengals were unable to turn things around, finishing 6-11 and missing the playoffs for the third straight season.
The Bengals’ record reflects issues that stem far beyond the injuries that they dealt with this season. Since Burrow’s return, the team went 3-3– including a 24-0 loss to the Baltimore Ravens and a two point loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 18– with the defense continuing to falter in big moments. Eager to see the Bengals return to the same level of success that they experienced in 2021 and ’22, Burrow is pleading for the Bengals to attack the offseason and build a roster capable of winning.
Burrow Says Team Needs to ‘Attack’ Free Agency
After the Bengals’ loss in week 18, Burrow continued to voice his support for head coach Zac Taylor and general manager Duke Tobin, but made it clear that he wants to see some urgency from the front office when it comes to the offseason approach. When the Bengals made the Super Bowl in 2021 followed by another AFC championship game appearance in 2022, free agent signings played a key role in helping the team reach that level of success.
When asked about how important free agency will be for the Bengals’ this offseason, Burrow emphasized attacking it so that they can identify and fix their weaknesses to improve.
“Yeah, that’s of paramount importance,” Burrow said. “You have to identify where you’re weak and figure out a way to be strong in that area. That’s the NFL year in and year out. Sometimes it works out. Sometimes it doesn’t. But you have to attack that period with the intent to get better.”
In the offseason leading up to their Super Bowl run, the Bengals brought in several big names such as Trey Hendrickson, Chidobe Awuzie, Mike Hilton, Larry Ogunjobi and Riley Reiff, helping them secure depth at weaker positions. With a big, and rather strong, free agent class expected this offseason, this is the year for the Bengals to make a splash.
The Bengals’ Biggest Problem
Offensively, the Bengals have been very good over the last few seasons when everyone is healthy, with both Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase playing at an MVP level in 2024. But the Bengals’ biggest problem is their defense.
In 2024, even though the franchise finished 9-8, the defense ended the year ranked near the bottom in virtually every major category, including being ranked as the seventh worst scoring defense (allowing 30 or more points in six of their games), were 4-7 in one score games and set the NFL record for most losses while scoring at least 30 points in a game. In 2025, the Bengals are ranked No. 31 in the NFL for total defense, higher than only the 3-14 Las Vegas Raiders.
Joe Burrow Pleads for Bengals to ‘Attack’ Offseason