Joe Burrow 's expectations for himself and the Cincinnati Bengals can't be any higher going into the 2026 season. Burrow called his shot during his first press conference of the offseason.
The Cincinnati
Bengals have come a long way since drafting quarterback Joe Burrow at the beginning of the decade. There's still a long way to go in achieving the biggest goal an NFL club can have.
When asked if Cincinnati is in a better spot now compared to the early days of his career, Burrow responded clearly and established expectations for the 2026 season.
"Definitely," Burrow answered. "I think the No. 1 thing is you have to win. We're gonna go win a lot of games this year and play great, and win a Super Bowl, and everything that comes with that comes with that."
There is nothing else Burrow and the Bengals can accomplish that they haven't already aside from raising the Lombardi Trophy. They've claimed two AFC North titles, and hoisted the Lamar Hunt Trophy after winning the AFC Championship Game in the very stadium Hunt himself oversaw.
Winning the whole damn thing is all that's left. That's the expectation Burrow is setting for the rest of the organization.
It would not be a realistic one without the offseason Cincinnati made happen.
Burrow began the year stating it was "as big as it gets"
for the Bengals to make the most of the offseason. He's since commended the front office
for taking the necessary steps over the last few months in filling needs that have popped up over the years.
"I just think we know where we needed to be better, and we went out and aggressively made it happen," Burrow said. "We filled some holes that we had from years past, got better at a lot of positions. Signed the best free agent safety ( Bryan Cook
). Got the best d-tackle [ Dexter Lawrence
] in the league, in my opinion.
"We have everything we need in that locker room. We just have to go make it happen."
Injecting competent veterans with leadership qualities is what Cincinnati had in mind for its defensive overhaul. Cook specifically has already gotten on Burrow's radar in this regard.
"You see that already," Burrow said. "You see that out of Bryan Cook from day one, you can tell that he's going to set a standard in that room."
Reloading the defensive line following the loss of Trey Hendrickson
will also make everyone's job on defense easier.
"When you're four deep at every position on the D line, usually you're going to be pretty good defense," Burrow said. "Doesn't really matter what was happening everywhere else. And then we have a lot of trust in the in the linebackers that we're that we're bringing back. Those guys have taken leadership roles this offseason. That's been exciting to see. We know they have the talent to make it happen."
The last three years of Bengals football has been frustrating to say the least. Burrow has missed 16 games thanks to two separated injuries. His defense has been near or at the bottom of the NFL. Free agency and the draft have each resulted in more than enough whiffs.
It's amazing what a few months can do to change an outlook. Burrow will be getting to work making his prediction come true.
