Joe Burrow praised Cincinnati’s 2025 offseason additions—Bryan Cook, Boye Mafe, Jonathan Allen, and the trade for Dexter Lawrence—but said he had no demands or mandates shaping the moves. Speaking to the media for the first time since the end of the 2025 seaso
CINCINNATI — Joe Burrow walked into the Bengals media scene for the first time since the end of the 2025 season, and his message started with credit—just not his.
The quarterback threw his support behind Cincinnati’s bold off-season moves. praising the free agent signings of safety Bryan Cook. defensive end Boye Mafe and defensive tackle Jonathan Allen. He also backed the team’s biggest swing of the summer: trading the No. 10 pick for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.
There had been plenty of speculation that the pace and shape of the roster work were tied to Burrow’s influence—pressure from him. and the front office’s effort to keep him satisfied. That talk grew louder because after the 2024 season. Burrow publicly pressed the team for extensions for tight end Mike Gesicki and wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
This time, though, Burrow pushed back hard on the idea that he forced the issue.
“I would say we had a lot of communication during free agency,” Burrow said. “We didn’t have our postseason meeting like we typically have. I would say if anything, I was less involved this year than in years past.”
The context mattered. The Bengals went 6-11 last year and missed the playoffs for the third straight season, and Burrow said there were no threats or mandates from him once it was clear the roster needed to change.
He sounded confident, too, about where Cincinnati is headed now—confident enough to emphasize what he believes has improved in the locker room and on the field.
“This is the most talented roster we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Burrow said. “The front office has taken a lot of heat from the fans, the public, the media. We can put all of that behind us.
“They went and made it happen with free agency,” he added. “And then obviously with Dexter, making a trade like that, that doesn’t happen a ton in the NFL. So it’s exciting to see.”
Burrow also addressed the missing postseason meeting with the front office, saying it wasn’t intentional and wasn’t a signal of anger over how the 2025 roster was built—despite the stark mismatch he pointed to between the team’s offense and defense.
“Just kind of how it happened,” he said.
He framed the changes as something the organization didn’t need a meeting to understand. The problems, he said, were obvious.
“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 (Cook). Got the best D tackle in the league, in my opinion. So we have everything we need in that locker room. We just have to go make it happen.”.
Burrow didn’t try to shift blame away from himself, either.
“There’s no secret that the last several years didn’t go the way we wanted to. and there’s a lot of blame to go around for that. myself included. ” Burrow continued. “We’re in a great spot this year. We brought in great people and great players. You can feel the vibes of the locker room. The energy is elevated right now. We have some veteran guys that can come in and show the younger guys on defense what it takes. what it means to be great every day. That’s exciting to be a part of.”.
He knows the bigger test comes next: turning promise into results and getting back to the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
Burrow expects it.
“The number one thing is you have to win,” Burrow said. “We’re going to go win a lot of games this year and play great and win a Super Bowl.”
Joe Burrow Cincinnati Bengals Bryan Cook Boye Mafe Jonathan Allen Dexter Lawrence Mike Gesicki Ja’Marr Chase Tee Higgins NFL offseason trade free agency playoffs