Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow finally addresses his future in Cincinnati after months of speculation
Joe Burrow didn’t sign a five-year $275 million contract extension with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2023 to play for some other team.
As the seventh-year quarterback told the team website, Burrow has no plans to ever leave the Bengals.
‘I mean what I say,’ Burrow told Bengals.com’s Geoff Hobson. ‘I’m here for the long haul. I’m not going anywhere.’
Currently Burrow is signed through the 2029 season, while his favorite receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase are locked up through 2029 and 2028, respectively. The trio ranks among the most fearsome passing attacks in football, but also accounts for nearly 30 percent of the team’s cap figure, leaving less available cap room for the rest of the roster.
Consequently, the Bengals allowed more yardage than any other defense in 2025, which led some to question Burrow’s patience for the long-term plan in Cincinnati.
But rather than let those rumors fester, Burrow instead declared his long-term plans to stay in the Queen City.
Burrow has no plans to ever leave the Bengals, as he recently told the team website
Burrow was limited by a toe injury in 2025, but is back and healthy entering the 2026 season
‘I’m not going anywhere,’ he reiterated. ‘I’m just trying to bring a now-or-never mentality to the day-by-day process. If you’re not, what are you doing? Attack the day with a championship mindset. The rest will take care of itself.
‘I’m just really proud to be quarterback of the Bengals,’ he continued. ‘I’m happy to be here. I’m proud to represent the city of Cincinnati, state of Ohio, the Brown family. I’m just proud and I want to make everybody else proud, too.’
Burrow was limited to eight games in 2025 due to a toe injury, and while he did earn Pro Bowl honors, he was understandably disappointed as Cincinnati finished 12th in points scored and 17th in yardage.
‘If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing this,’ Burrow told reporters in December. ‘I have been through a lot. If it’s not fun, then what am I doing it for? That is the mindset I am trying to bring to the table.’
On the bright side for Bengals fans, the team did make some major additions on defense, including All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, ex-Kansas City Chiefs safety Bryan Cook and Boye Mafe, a defensive end who won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks last season.
Zac Taylor’s team opens its season on Sunday when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit the Jungle.
