There’s something different about Joe Burrow this year. In his own words, the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback is now “a little more vocal in a mean way.” And beyond the way the 29-year-old carries himself in the locker room and on the field these days, he’s also making big predictions for the 2026 season. An instance where that became public was on the second day of mandatory minicamp. The QB compared the current Bengals to his undefeated 2019 LSU Tigers team. While this ought to have sparked a wave of optimism across Cincy, not everyone was on board with this statement.

Former Cleveland Browns linebacker Emmanuel Acho was one of them. Sitting next to Bengals legend TJ Houshmandzadeh, he disagreed with Burrow’s claim. When TJ pushed back, Acho brought out the receipts.

“No, for several reasons,” Acho said. “First, let me dismantle Joe Burrow’s statement; and Joe Burrow knows this, and Joe Burrow is incredible. The 2019 LSU roster – that wide receiving core is better than the Cincinnati Bengals wide receiving core, and the Cincinnati Bengals wide receiving core is good.”

That’s not a throwaway. Cincy’s current WR depth chart boasts of 5x Pro Bowler Ja’Marr Chase, the 2018 CFP national champ Tee Higgins, and Andrei Iosivas as the core. Behind them are Colby Young, Mitchell Tinsley, and Charlie Jones on the depth chart. But per Acho, the 2019 Tigers were much more solid.

The 2019 LSU Tigers had Ja’Marr in common, but they also had Justin Jefferson and Terrence Marshall as the receiving core. Add RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire and TE Thaddeus Moss, and you get the recipe for a championship-caliber offense.

“So your starting skill unit was a first-round running back,” Acho listed off, “a Hall of Fame wide receiver, another Hall of Fame wide receiver, a Hall of Fame tight end’s son in Thaddeus Moss, and a [second-round] pick wide receiver (Marshall), I believe, is your wide receiver three. So let’s stop there.”

“And then defensively, I think you also had Patrick Queen,” Acho added. “I think you had K’Lavon Chaisson, I think you had a young, young, young Derrick Stingley. … So that LSU squad is light years better than this Bengals squad compared to the field.”

But the Bengals have been very bullish this offseason. On offense, they signed 4x Pro Bowler left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. to a two-year extension, brought back guard Dalton Risner, and added draft picks Connor Lew (C, 4th round) and Jack Endries (TE, 7th round). Their defensive reinforcements were even bigger.

Former first-round nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II came to Cincy via a trade with the New York Giants. Beyond that, they also drafted Cashius Howell (DE, 2nd round), Tacario Davis (CB, 3rd round), and multiple free agents to boost the secondary. This team is loaded, and their biggest selling point is the quarterback who orchestrated that historic 2019 season with the LSU Tigers.

On paper, the 2019 Joe Burrow threw for a career-best 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns against just six interceptions. But those numbers don’t tell the whole story.

At a time when no one expected the Tigers to have any teeth, Burrow boldly declared that his team could put up “40, 50, 60 points per game.” Not many believed him back at that time, but on the way to winning the national championship, Burrow orchestrated a 15-0 season, while the Tigers scored more than 40 points in 12 of those games. One CFP National Championship Offensive MVP and a Heisman Trophy later, no one was doubting Burrow anymore.

Heading to the 2026 season, Burrow is already feeling the pressure of missing the playoffs three years in a row. But pressure is where Joe Cool excels, and at the mandatory minicamps, he set the same bar for all his teammates.

“I think that’s great. Put pressure on guys. I love it,” Burrow said in his Wednesday presser. “I thrive in it. We’ll find out who else does. I know that we have the kind of people that want to be in that spot. I want everybody talking about the Bengals. I want everybody talking about what I’m saying in my press conferences.”

But that’s not enough to convince Emmanuel Acho. On the Speakeasy podcast, he ended his take with another bold declaration for the Bengals.

“The Bengals, hopefully, are an eight or nine-win team,” Acho said. “From a roster perspective, they’re probably the second, maybe third-best roster in their division. And in the conference, maybe the 10th-best roster. Maybe grace of God.”

“If Burrow stays healthy, they’ll win 11 maybe 10,” Acho continued. “Bengals are a good team, okay team. Definitely not an elite team, and definitely not a 2019 LSU undefeated team.”

Joe Burrow wanted everyone talking about the Bengals and what he says in pressers. He got his wish. The Bengals are spending a whopping $290 million on their roster this season and are building on both sides of the ball. Now, Joe Burrow has to use that arsenal and prove Acho wrong. Is a 17-0 season loading? We’ll find out.