With the latest loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the Cincinnati Bengals are out of the postseason picture, which means the future of quarterback Joe Burrow is uncertain. Burrow cleared up his earlier comments regarding his future with the Bengals, as it was tied to football rather than Cincinnati. Still, it’s something to keep an eye on as the quarterback hasn’t found much success the past three seasons since taking the Bengals to their first Super Bowl appearance against the Los Angeles Rams. The quarterback isn’t having fun, and it’s hard to imagine what happens to him this upcoming offseason as trade speculation is starting to heat up.
“If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing this,” Burrow said. “I have been through a lot. If it’s not fun, then what am I doing it for? That is the mindset I am trying to bring to the table.” Either way, it doesn’t look good for the future of the Bengals’ offense. If he decides to retire, he would become the second quarterback at age 29 to walk away from the game, as former Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is the latest veteran to make the decision.
Breaking: The Future of Bengals Star Quarterback Joe Burrow Revealed
So what now? This will be the biggest storyline for the Bengals this offseason. However, one source said that the retirement or trade speculation has been blown out of proportion. Although that might be the case, it’s hard to see what the alternative of how Burrow feels. For the sake of this article, let’s assume that Burrow wants a trade at some point if the Bengals continue to deplete. Despite signing Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to monster deals, it doesn’t mean the quarterback will stay.
Possible 2026 Teams
Indianapolis Colts
Despite miraculously bringing Philip Rivers out of retirement, the Colts will need a long-term, adequate starting quarterback. Indianapolis found that in Daniel Jones before going down with a season-ending injury. However, this will be the biggest decision for the Colts if they draft a new quarterback or bring Jones back for one more season. The Colts could consider Burrow if the Bengals are open to trading him within the AFC, which seems unlikely.
Indianapolis would need to give up a lot for Burrow, but if they want to win now and take the risk, this could be the most shocking trade that might be bigger than Micah Parsons in the NFC. Never say never, and Rivers playing is a good example of that.
Los Angeles Rams
Meanwhile, the Bengals would probably only trade Burrow to the NFC. Veteran Matthew Stafford is arguably having his best season this year, setting records, and could win a Super Bowl in February. However, Stafford won’t play five more seasons, so the Rams will need to rebuild a new quarterback to acclimate to their offense. The good news is that they have a generational head coach in Sean McVay, who has the tools to develop Burrow into a franchise quarterback.
Even though Davante Adams said he would retire once Stafford does, the Rams still have a promising ground game and a special playmaker in Puka Nacua. This might be the team that Burrow thrives with if the Bengals move on.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings will likely take a quarterback in the first round in April, but the idea of Burrow joining Kevin O’Connell sounds intriguing. A reunion for Justin Jefferson and Burrow does sound like a sweet deal for both. Unfortunately, the only thing stopping that from happening is the salary cap. Despite that, keep your eyes on Minnesota as they could creep up to turn their organization around either way to get Burrow.
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