The Cincinnati Bengals have dominated headlines recently, but for the wrong reasons.
After blowing a 10-point halftime lead on the road against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, things took a turn for the worse.
Star quarterback Joe Burrow opened up on his feelings through what has been another difficult season. Although Burrow has impressed when on the field, he dealt with a severe turf toe injury that required surgery and caused him to miss nine weeks of action.
When Burrow returned, Cincinnati was a long shot to make the playoffs.
Burrow recently spoke on having fun while playing football, something that he seems to be far from. His good friend and long-time teammate Ja'Marr Chase was shocked to hear Burrow's admissions, so much so that he thought they were fake.
As a result of this recent chatter, Burrow's name has been swirling around trade talks. That said, it isn't a possible Joe Burrow trade that the Bengals should be worried about. It's Joe Burrow's NFL future entirely.
MORE: Why Bucs coach Todd Bowles had fiery rant after loss to Falcons
Burrow's recent press conference drew similarities to Andrew Luck's closing press conference, where he retired from football before the age of 30.
Before this recent press conference from Burrow, there was no indication that he's recently been unhappy with Cincinnati. The Bengals have reached a Super Bowl during his tenure, and the front office locked up his favorite weapons (Chase and Tee Higgins) long-term, something Burrow advocated for.
Furthermore, even though Burrow expressed a desire to win, he can't blame Cincinnati for falling out of contention while he missed over two months due to rehab.
It's important to remember, Burrow has been through a lot as a Cincinnati Bengal. In addition to this season, Burrow had a lingering calf injury for much of 2024, his home was burglarized and he also tore his ACL as a rookie in 2020.
Perhaps the toil of a long, gruesome season filled with injury had taken its toll, especially after a tough loss that all but sealed Cincinnati's playoff fate.
Either way, with Burrow under contract until 2029, expect him to stay with the Bengals unless he decides to retire early.
More NFL News:
- Myles Garrett makes NFL history with six-season sack streak
- Why Tua Tagovailoa's Dolphins' future depends on Mike McDaniel
- Bradley Chubb has momentum quote that should fire up Dolphins fan