Joe Burrow is tired of waiting for "next year."
After three straight playoff absences, the Bengals’ star quarterback wants 2026 to be the season in which his team returns to the Super Bowl.
“I’m trying to put it out in the world; I’m trying to manifest it,” Burrow said Thursday after a joint practice with the Bears, via The Cincinnati Enquirer. “I’m trying to show our guys the urgency that I have, and that I want us to have as an organization to go and make it happen. You can keep pushing it down the road, or you can talk about it now and say this is the year. I’m tired of saying next year, next year, next year. This is it.”
Inspired by Cincinnati’s offseason investment in its defense, Burrow has maintained a high level of confidence and expectation throughout 2026. He’s touted this team as the best of which he’s been a part since his 2019 national champion LSU Tigers, and with every key contributor on the offensive side returning, Burrow has reason to feel optimistic.
It’s also part of a pattern for Burrow. Around this time last year, Burrow was claiming he was throwing the football better than he had in years, setting expectations high for an offensively powered Cincinnati team that lost Burrow to injury in Week 2.
Therein lies the most important factor: Burrow’s health. His inability to stay on the field has contributed directly to Cincinnati’s struggles over the last three seasons, and while one can certainly blame the Bengals’ disappointing finishes on their leaky defense, it must come with an acknowledgement of Burrow’s own health hurdles.
Still, if everything goes right, 2026 could be a special season. The Bengals boast a defense that finally possesses some legitimate threats up front, and they’ve quietly formed an excellent secondary (headlined by ascending star DJ Turner II) over the last few seasons.
All the pieces seem to be in place. Burrow intends to ensure his teammates don’t hold anything back.