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James Harrison hinted at the possibility of Joe Burrow joining the Steelers
The Cincinnati Bengals had a rough 2025 season as they finished with their worst record since Joe Burrow’s rookie season in 2020. Despite a rare 2-0 start to the season, things quickly took a turn for the worse as Joe Burrow suffered a turf toe injury during the team’s Week 2 victory over the Jaguars.
Burrow would then miss the following nine games, with Cincinnati going 1-8 in that span. By the time Burrow returned, the Bengals had an outside chance of making the postseason, but that failed to materialize as the team went 3-3 over the last six games of the season with Burrow as the starter.
However, it was during that stretch when Burrow made comments that went viral, as he declared he was not having fun. Burrow said, “If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing it,” which raised eyebrows across the NFL. ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted that despite Burrow clarifying that the comments were not targeted at the Bengals, teams had begun wondering about the future availability of Joe Burrow.
Now, a former Bengals player, who primarily played for the Pittsburgh Steelers during his career, insinuated that Joe Burrow could leave Cincinnati and join the division rival Steelers.
James Harrison Says Cincinnati Bengals Quarterback Joe Burrow Could Leave
While the Bengals have had stability at the quarterback position since drafting Joe Burrow in the 2020 draft, the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers have had a revolving door at the position. Since Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season, the Steelers have cycled through Kenny Pickett, Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, and are currently relying on the status of 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers.
As a result, former Cincinnati Bengals player James Harrison, who spent 14 seasons with the Steelers, is actively trying to recruit Joe Burrow to the Steelers.
“I’ve been conversating with him (Joe Burrow) here on a weekly, bi-weekly basis. We’ve been having conversations. I talked to him on the phone yesterday,” Harrison said on an episode of the Deebo and Joe Podcast. “We’ve been talking about him. He’s going to go up there and talk to Mr. Brown to see what he needs to do to do whatever he needs to do to maybe get into some black and gold.”
Fortunately for Bengals fans, Sports Illustrated’s Zach Pressnell believes that will not happen as he said, “Yes, the Steelers need a quarterback. Obviously, Burrow would be an ideal target for them. There’s no world where this idea could ever come to reality.”
Joe Burrow’s Future in Cincinnati
Despite constant talk about Burrow leaving, the idea seems to be far-fetched as the Bengals would likely never consider trading their franchise quarterback. If it were to happen, Burrow would likely have to request a trade, and he has given no indication of wanting out of Cincinnati.
Additionally, Burrow is signed through the 2029 season as he signed a five-year, $275 million extension in 2023. Despite the team’s results not being what Burrow has wanted since the extension, the team has stated that they would not consider a trade.
Regarding Burrow’s future with the Bengals, Zach Pressnell added, “The Bengals need to make sure Burrow spends his entire career in Cincinnati. They’ve done a very good job of this so far, but they need to make sure he stays happy and continues playing in Cincinnati. Burrow should be a Bengal for life.”
Jose Esquer Jose Esquer is a Mexican-American sportswriter and communications student based in San Diego, CA. His work spans football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. He has written for platforms like RotoWire and DolphinsTalk. You can find him on Twitter/X @JEsquer8, usually talking Dolphins, world football, or both. More about Jose Esquer
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