NFL fans know Joe Burrow is a true franchise quarterback, one of the few elite players who can lift up an entire team and immediately make it a contender. Despite the presence of Burrow, however, the Cincinnati Bengals haven't made the playoffs in three seasons.
That's quite the feat, one that hasn't gone unnoticed by Burrow, whoadvocated for "change" within the organizationWednesday, per ESPN.
"We don't want to be in the spot we are in now, so something's got to change," Burrow said Wednesday. "Whether it's players we have continuing to improve and get better and play championship-caliber football or bringing in guys that will or whatever it may be. Obviously, something has to [change]."
It marks yet another eyebrow-raising comment by the 29-year-old Burrow over the past few weeks. With the Bengals in the midst of their worst season since 2020, Burrow has been vocal abouthis enjoyment of the gameandadmitted he's considered a futurewhere he's no longer a Bengal.
Burrow kept his "change" comments centered around players, saying either those currently on the team need to take a step forward or the organization needs to bring in championship-caliber talent to lift the team back into the playoffs.
While Burrow didn't mention coaching or front-office upheaval, there may be some Bengals fans who believe that could be the necessary "change" to push the Bengals back into contention. Under Zac Taylor, the Bengals have been criticized for their slow starts. While he was able to lead the team to a Super Bowl in his third season, the fact that Taylor has failed to take a Burrow-lead team to the playoffs in three straight years is a concern.
Burrow, however, isn't completely blameless in his team's failure to make the postseason the past three seasons. When healthy, Burrow is undoubtedly an elite quarterback. But various injuries have prevented him leading the Bengals to glory. Burrow missed seven games in 2023 due to a wrist issue and nine games this season with a toe injury. Both injuries essentially sunk the team's chances in those seasons.
Keeping Burrow healthy and upright would go a long way toward the Bengals returning to the Super Bowl in the next couple seasons. The team's front office was criticized for not doing enough last offseason to strengthen its offensive line. Those critiques were immediately validated after Burrow went down in Week 2 with his injury.
Because of that, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Burrow is advocating for change. If he can avoid taking big hits, Burrow has it in him to lead the Bengals to a championship. But if the Bengals continue to embrace the status quo — like they did last offseason — the remainder of Burrow's time in Cincinnati could end in bitter disappointment.
