Imagine the Cincinnati Bengals without star quarterback Joe Burrow. That could have been reality if the Bengals accepted an enormous offer from the Miami Dolphins prior to the 2020 NFL Draft.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Dolphins tried to entice the Bengals to trade the No. 1 overall pick in the draft by offering a whopping four first-round picks in a trade. Obviously, the Bengals turned the offer down and selected Burrow for themselves and he rewarded Cincinnati by leading the team to the Super Bowl in his second season. Still, it’s interesting to think what could have been.
From Schefter:
“Before the 2020 NFL draft, the Dolphins offered the Bengals four first-round picks in exchange for the No. 1 selection and the ability to draft Burrow, league sources told ESPN. The Bengals declined to even engage in discussions and shut down the trade inquiry before it could gain any traction, according to sources.”
Once their offer was rejected, the Dolphins altered course and ended up selecting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with the No. 5 overall pick in the draft that same year.
Tagovailoa has served as Miami’s starter since, but the team recently benched him for the remainder of the current campaign after a string of underwhelming performances. His future in Miami is now an uncertain one.
Interestingly enough, it also seems like Burrow faces an uncertain future in Cincinnati following some cryptic comments made by the star quarterback recently. The Bengals are set to miss the playoffs for a third consecutive season and that obviously isn’t sitting well with Burrow, who has dealt with several serious injuries throughout his tenure in Cincinnati.
When asked in a recent press conference if he ever thought playing for another franchise or simply retiring from football, Burrow provided a vague response.
"I mean, you think about it, but you think about a lot of different things in your life just like everybody does," Burrow said.
Given the way things have unfolded for both Burrow and Tagovailoa with their respective teams, one can’t help but wonder what might have been had the Bengals accepted Miami’s offer back in the day.