Joe Burrow praised the business done in the offseason by the Cincinnati Bengals. However, refused to take credit for any of them.
There was a lot of speculation on social media that Burrow may have pushed the Bengals to improve their defense, which finished in the bottom half of nearly every metric.
Cincinnati signed safety Bryan Cook, defensive end Boye Mafe, and defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, along with the biggest acquisition of the summer, defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, by trading away the 10th overall pick.
Burrow declined to take credit for any of those signings while speaking to Cincinnati media for the first time since the 2025 season ended. However, he did admit that it's the best Bengals roster he has been part of since being selected first overall in 2020.
This is the most talented roster we've had since I've been here. The front office has taken a lot of heat from the fans, the public, [and] the media. We can put all of that behind us. They went and made it happen with free agency.
Burrow gave the Bengals a 2-0 start at the beginning of last year. He suffered a turf toe injury in week two that required surgery, which kept him out of action for nearly three months.
During this time, the Bengals rotated quarterbacks between Jake Browning andJoe Flacco. Burrow returned before their big divisional clash against the Baltimore Ravens. Burrow threw for 261 yards and two touchdowns.
Cincinnati lost the following two games, including the reverse fixture against the Ravens. Two wins followed before the Bengals ended the year with a defeat against the Cleveland Browns. Burrow recorded 173 completions for 1809 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions.
Without Burrow, Cincinnati's offense fell off a cliff. In 2024, they were the best in the league, but by 2025, they had dropped to 17th place, according to FOX Sports metrics. However, it was still better than the defense, which finished second-worst, allowing 380.9 yards per game and 60 total touchdowns (most).
Cincinnati had an eventful offseason. Apart from the signings of Lawrence, Cooke, and Mafe, they also allowed pass rusher Trey Hendrickson to join a different team. The Pro Bowler left but stayed in the AFC North to sign a deal with the Ravens.
Now Hendrickson and Burrow will face each other twice every year. Burrow cheekily implied that he can handle his former teammate. Burrow said, per Caleb Noe of WCPO 9.
I know Trey. I love Trey. I know how he operates.
Hendrikson would have still been a Bengals player if the front office had extended his contract. After the 2025 season ended, Hendrickson entered free agency, and the Ravens signed him on a four-year, $112 million contract with a $60 million guaranteed deal. Hendrickson is looking forward to lining up against Burrow. He said, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic:
Joe [Burrow] is one of the best in the National Football League. I like to affect games. It's continuing to play the same brand of football. IT's the standard that I've carried since Day 1. It doesn't matter who we're playing. The wins are important.
The Ravens also pulled off a successful trade for Maxx Crosby. Unfortunately, Crosby failed the physical, and the trade got overturned. According to the Ravens GM, they intended to pair Hendrickson with Crosby, but it did not happen.
(4717 Articles Published)