Joe Burrow said he is tired of waiting for next year in Cincinnati. James Harrison heard that message and immediately started imagining a much different future for the Bengals quarterback.
The two-time Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl champion used Burrow’s comments about urgency as fuel for a playful recruitment pitch on “Deebo & Joe,” telling the $275 million quarterback that Pittsburgh will soon have an opening.
Ex-Steelers Star James Harrison Makes Joe Burrow Recruitment Pitch
Burrow recently said he is “trying to manifest” a championship run and is tired of pushing expectations down the road after Cincinnati missed the playoffs three straight seasons.
Harrison took the word “manifest” and ran with it. Alongside co-host Joe Haden, he turned the discussion into a prayer for Burrow to eventually trade orange and black for Pittsburgh’s black and gold.
“The more and more and more I watch and the more and more and more I see, he’s not playing,” Harrison said in an X clip. “End of the day, I’m trying to win something.”
Harrison then pointed toward Pittsburgh’s looming quarterback vacancy. Aaron Rodgers has already announced that the 2026 season will be the final year of his NFL career.
Uh oh! Is Joe Burrow telling us to read between the lines in his message to the Bengals?! Deebo’s been cooking up this conspiracy for awhile 👀 @jharrison9292 | @joehaden23 | #DeeboAndJoe pic.twitter.com/JrpkbHoTeQ
— Deebo & Joe (@deeboandjoe) August 24, 2026
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“A-Rod sliding after this year. He’s gone,” Harrison said. “We going to get that offensive line. They ain’t going to be able to protect you over there, Joe Burrow.”
He finished with the direct pitch: “You better come on and put that gold back on with that black, Joe.”
The idea is clearly hypothetical. Cincinnati has given no indication it plans to move Burrow, who signed a five year, $275 million extension in 2023 and remains the centerpiece of the franchise.
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Joe Burrow’s Urgency Gives Harrison an Opening
Harrison nevertheless found an opening in Burrow’s recent comments.
“I’m tired of saying next year, next year, next year. This is it,” Burrow said after a joint practice with Chicago. He added that “life is too short to keep pushing things down the road.”
That frustration follows three consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance. Burrow played only eight games in 2025 because of injury, but Cincinnati went 5-3 with him and 1-8 without him. His 80.1 QB Impact score ranked 10th among qualifying quarterbacks.
The protection jab also comes with some debate. Bengals left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. has publicly called Cincinnati the NFL’s best pass protection unit, and the group improved late last season. Burrow’s health, however, has repeatedly shaped Cincinnati’s fortunes.
Pittsburgh has its own plan for now. Rodgers returned on a one-year deal and has repeatedly said there is “zero debate” that he will retire after the season. What comes after him is less certain.
Harrison has apparently decided to skip the uncertainty and start recruiting one of Pittsburgh’s biggest division rivals early.
