CINCINNATI (WKRC) – With the Bengals eliminated from playoff contention, quarterback Joe Burrow said his focus over the final weeks of the season remains unchanged: He wants to play.
Burrow pushed back this week against speculation about his long-term future and commitment to Cincinnati — while also sending mixed messages. He was unequivocal, however, when stating his desire to be on the field despite another injury-shortened season.
“I like playing football,” Burrow said. “For the same reasons that I wanted to push to come back from injury, the same reasons I want to play this week. It feels like everybody’s trying to do everything in their power to make me not play football, and I feel like I’m fighting it. I’m fighting everybody else. I just want to play ball.”
The comments came amid broader questions about Burrow’s future with the franchise, the direction of the organization and whether status quo is enough after three seasons that fell short of expectations following the Bengals’ Super Bowl run in 2021 and trip to the AFC Championship Game in 2022.
Asked whether he has ever thought about not playing football, Burrow acknowledged the thought has crossed his mind, but emphasized his long-term outlook.
“You think about it, but you think about a lot of different things in your life,” he said. “I’m going to be playing for a long time. I expect to play for a long time, and I expect to play well and consistently great for a long time.”
Asked whether he has ever considered the possibility of not spending his entire career in Cincinnati, Burrow said uncertainty is part of the NFL.
“You think about a lot of things,” he said. “A lot of crazy things happen every year.”
As he approaches his 29th birthday, Burrow acknowledged fan concerns about wasted prime years but pointed to injuries — particularly his own — as a major factor in the team’s recent struggles.
“A big part of that is injuries on my end,” Burrow said. “I’ve played one full season (during the three years). I’ve played four games this year. It’s hard to make an impact on a season when you play four games.”
Burrow said staying healthy is now his top priority.
“I need to figure out a way to be available for everybody here,” he said. “That’s something that is on top of mind for me.”
Burrow also addressed reports that coach Zac Taylor and the front office are expected to remain in place, reiterating his confidence in the staff while acknowledging that changes may be necessary.
“I think we have great coaches,” Burrow said. “That’s not to say that changes don’t need to be made. I’m not saying personnel or people. I’m just saying what we’ve been doing hasn’t worked the last couple of years, so we have to think outside the box and get creative about where we go from here.”
Burrow said he believes ownership and the front office are willing to evaluate what needs to change and that communication remains constant.
“We all want to win,” he said. “We have a lot of smart people here that know how to put the right people and decision-makers in place to try to be our best. We’ve done it before. We’ll have to do it again.”