The 2025 season has officially gone from bad to worse for the Cincinnati Bengals. Following a brutal 24-0 shutout loss to the Baltimore Ravens this past Sunday, the Bengals have fallen to 4-10 and are now mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. It was a historic low for the franchise, marking the first time Joe Burrow has been held scoreless in his entire NFL career. 

Moreover, comments from the quarterback of Zac Taylor’s team about needing to “have fun” again sparked a firestorm of trade rumors. Fans and media began to wonder if the face of the franchise was looking for a way out of Cincinnati, leading to heavy speculation about which teams might be in line for the former No. 1 overall pick. Despite the noise, NFL insiders are stepping in to clear the air. John Middlekauff noted,

“I’d be stunned if they traded him. Obviously, if they put him on the market, teams would be lined up. You know, part of the Patrick Mahomes thing that’s so jarring is like, God, he’s a pretty durable player. When I think of Joe Burrow, I don’t exactly think, you know, the definition of durability. That’s not the case.”

Burrow has been a great player when he is healthy, but over the years, his injuries have kept him away from the field, affecting his gameplay.  He pointed out that while Burrow is elite, his history of major injuries, including the ACL tear in 2020, the wrist injury in 2023, and now the turf toe in 2025, makes him a different case than a “durable” star like Patrick Mahomes. 

Dianna Russini of The Athletic also threw cold water on the trade talk, reporting that Burrow hasn’t asked for a trade and the team has no plans to shop him. However, she did mention that there is real frustration behind the scenes regarding the Bengals’ operation, specifically the team’s small coaching and scouting staffs. 

So, what exactly did Burrow say that started this whole mess? Well, it was the comment that Burrow made after the week 15 loss.

“No, it certainly doesn’t change my desire to win,” Burrow said. “If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing it. I’ve been through a lot, and if it’s not fun, then what am I doing it for?” Burrow said.

Later, Burrow himself eventually clarified that his comments were about his own mental battle with losing and injuries, rather than a jab at the city or the team. 

“My comments had nothing to do with Cincinnati,” Burrow said after the game. “My comments had everything to do with me and my mindset and football.”

Surely Burrow still has a lot to offer to the league. Let’s see what the team has in store for the QB’s future.

Joe Burrow shares his honest thoughts about his trust in the front office and coaching staff

The Cincinnati Bengals are officially out of the playoff hunt, but they aren’t packing it in just yet. Head coach Zac Taylor confirmed Monday that Joe Burrow will remain the starting quarterback for the final three games of the season. This news comes just one day after a brutal 24–0 shutout loss to the Baltimore Ravens that mathematically eliminated Cincinnati from the postseason.

This naturally raised questions about whether Burrow still trusts the people running the show. When asked if he still has faith in the coaching staff and the front office, Burrow didn’t blink. He gave them a full vote of confidence, as he said.

“A lot of confidence,” Burrow said. “Because I know how hard people work at it. We got the right people. Starts with players playing better, and today it was me. This is a team effort. At the end of the day, players got to play better on the field. Today was me. I got to be better.”

But the NFL analysts are suggesting something else: The Bengals’ defense is currently struggling at a historic level, ranking last in the NFL in three major categories: points allowed per game (31.2), total yards allowed (403.8), and rushing yards allowed (157.9). With numbers that low, a massive defensive overhaul this offseason seems like a certainty.

Irrespective of this, the message from the Bengals’ end is clear: they aren’t looking for anyone to start their games except for Joe Burrow. Well, as of now.