NFL
Joe Burrow’s Bengals Future in Doubt: 2027 Divorce Already Being Talked About by NFL Insiders
As the Bengals face yet another crucial offseason, quarterback Joe Burrow's future with the team remains uncertain. With concerns about the roster, coaching situation, and Burrow's desire to win, speculation arises about a potential trade request. Owner Mike Brown's history adds to the uncertainty, leading many to question if Burrow will finish his career in Cincinnati.
Arizona Cardinals v Cincinnati Bengals - NFL 2025 by Ben Jackson | Getty Images
Another pivotal offseason looms for the Bengals, with quarterback Joe Burrow watching closely after years of campaigning openly for more talent on the roster.
It’s also the final year on coach Zac Taylor’s contract, and some rival execs (perhaps wishfully thinking) are convinced that 2026 could mark the end of Burrow’s run there.
Burrow has put up some record numbers since being selected first-overall in 2000, leading the team to one Super Bowl appearance, losing big chunks of multiple seasons due to surgery and outwardly voicing his frustration with the franchise at several times along the way.
The Bengals have a long history of some of their best players leaving on bad terms, owner Mike Brown is notoriously frugal and stubborn, and while the team boosted the payroll a year ago to retain top receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase for Burrow, the roster remains far from championship quality, the defense is a mess, and Taylor is a lame duck.
Is This It?
All of that begs major questions about Burrow finishing his career with the Bengals and if this upcoming season goes anything like the past two, few would be shocked in league circles if Burrow requested a trade.
The Bengals have never won a Lombardi Trophy, have had contentious negotiations with several top talents recently (top pass rusher Trey Hendrickson chief among them) and Burrow has talked openly over the years about the toll all of his injuries have had on him.
“This is it,” one general manager said of the situation.
“Dude, they aren’t going out and trading for Maxx Crosby or something like that. The defense sucks. This is the final year that Chase and Higgins are both there. It’s going to come to a head, trust me.”
Another top personnel executive said: “I could see him angling to get out of there. I kind of expect it. That’s a tough place to win, and he really wants to win.”
Burrow will turn 30 in February and has already ruminated in the past about his football mortality. Brown would be able to fetch a massive return in exchange, loaded with young and cheap draft picks, and no shortage of NFL execs have taken note of the way former Bengals franchise quarterback Carson Palmer navigated his way out of Cincinnati later in his career.
It certainly feels like the clock might be ticking, and it’s hard to envision this franchise getting markedly better in one offseason, especially with how poorly recent drafts have worked out.
La Canfora has covered over 20 Super Bowls and League Meetings and NFL drafts, building a wide network of sources throughout all aspects of the game. He was an award winning print journalist as well, working at The Detroit Free Press and The Baltimore Sun prior to his first stint at The Washington Post. He has covered sporting events around the world, including two Winter Olympics and all of the 2006 World Cup. He attended his first NFL game in 1978, and would soon kindle what has become a lifelong love and appreciation of the sport. La Canfora is also a professional handicapper, specializing in the NFL, creating a daily sports wagering game show - "Wanna Bet?" He also hosts nationally broadcast NFL radio shows in the US, as well as a daily sports radio show in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland.