Joe Burrow was instantly a franchise-altering presence for the Cincinnati Bengals when he joined the team in 2020. He took them to the Super Bowl in just his second season, but the past few years have been a bit bumpier.
In recent years, there have been rumors that Burrow could look to leave the Bengals if things don’t improve, but one NFL legend is pouring cold water on that narrative.
Cris Carter Pours Cold Water on Rumors of Joe Burrow Leaving Bengals
With Burrow missing the playoffs in each of the last three seasons and injuries limiting him in recent years, fans have now begun to fear that he may eventually opt to leave Cincinnati. However, Minnesota Vikings legend Cris Carter is assuaging those concerns.
Carter remains convinced that such a scenario isn’t going to happen.
“People don’t realize Joe Burrow is from Ohio,” Carter said on the “Fully Loaded” podcast. “You have success early, you go to the Super Bowl your second year, and then ever since then, they’ve been just like the Bengals that he grew up watching…
“There’s a certain amount of professional pride that comes with everything that you do. Now, Joe Burrow might be in Italy going to fashion shows, but when you look at his resume, he’s not talked about in the same breath that we talk about the other quarterbacks.”
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Arguing his point, he pointed out that the Bengals aren’t facing the same amount of pressure as other teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, and even the Los Angeles Chargers entering this season.
“It lets you know the Bengals are still run by the same people,” Carter said. I don’t know how we expect them to change their DNA. Now, I do believe that he has somewhat put himself into a corner because he wanted them to pay the wide receivers, and they did. They paid them. Now, they’re trying to fix the defense.”
But even with those commitments, the legendary wide receiver believes Burrow is their north star. As a result, he doesn’t anticipate either side looking to end the marriage.
“He’s made other comments about things that he wanted. They’re going to be doing that. Now, Joe Burrow is untouchable. So, I don’t believe that he’ll be available to trade to the Rams and everything. I don’t know why people think that’s just going to happen. Just snap your fingers.”
When he’s been on the field for the Bengals, Burrow has been nothing short of sensational. In three of the last five seasons, he’s ranked inside the top five of PFN’s QB Impact Score. But his main issue has been his availability.
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In two of the last three years, he’s played in 10 or fewer games over the course of the season. The lion’s share of the blame falls on the offensive line, which has been subpar throughout his tenure in Cincinnati. The constant hits and poor protection are sometimes mentioned as a potential reason Burrow could look for a change of scenery.
It remains to be seen what the future holds for the Bengals. Recently, Burrow spoke to the media about his expectations for the 2026 season and why he believes Cincinnati has what it takes to win the Super Bowl.
“I’m trying to manifest it,” Burrow said. “I’m trying to show our guys the urgency that I have and that I want us to have as an organization to go and make it happen. You can keep pushing it down the road, or you can talk about it now and say, ‘This is the year.’
“And I’m tired of saying, ‘Next year, next year, next year.’ This is it. Life is too short to keep pushing things down the road. I’m trying to instill some urgency and some intensity in everybody to go and be great every day and try to go make it happen.”
Former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky replied on X, offering a blunt interpretation of what Burrow may have truly been saying: “Win or I’m out.”
Carter believes Burrow isn’t going anywhere, but if the Bengals miss the playoffs again, it will be interesting to see if Burrow’s frustration grows or if he’ll remain patient with his hometown squad.
