The Cincinnati Bengals had their playoff hopes snuffed out on Sunday after their 24-0 shutout loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Joe Burrow had one of his worst performances since returning from injury, completing 25 of 39 pass attempts for 225 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions, magnifying his comments made last week about not having fun with football right now.
"If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing it," Burrow admitted to the media last week.
Joe Burrow clarifies 'fun' comments, defends Cincinnati
At Burrow's post-game press conference following the Ravens' loss, the quarterback felt the need to clarify his comments and attempted to douse the flames of trade speculation,
"My comments had nothing to do with Cincinnati. My comments had everything to do with me and my mindset and football," Burrow said via ESPN's Ben Baby.
"I think this is one of the worst games that I've played. I'm honest with myself and my play, and I hold myself to a high standard, and today didn't come close. Bad football teams do losing things, and if you're wanting to compete for championships and be in the playoffs, then No. 1, your quarterback has to play better than I did today."
Clearly, the former No. 1 overall pick isn't going anywhere anytime soon, and felt the need to calm the fears of Cincinnati fans.
Rather, he's taking accountability for the Bengals' offensive struggles and his own mistakes, hopefully reassuring fans he isn't planning on demanding a trade during the 2026 offseason.
More Bengals news:
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- Philip Rivers reveals harsh thoughts on Bengals' QB Joe Burrow
- Bengals still predicted to win AFC North despite Sunday's loss to Bills
- Bengals predicted to receive 'monumental talent upgrade' in 2026 mock draft