Burrow says – Joe Burrow, frustrated by an injury-plagued 2025 season and a third straight missed postseason, says the Bengals’ offseason work has him believing the roster is coming together—pointing to defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, safety Bryan Cook, and edge rusher Jo
Joe Burrow didn’t try to dress up 2025.
He came to the end of an injury-plagued season still carrying the sting of missing nine games. and the colder part of it was that the Bengals were again left out of the postseason for a third consecutive year.. “Missing nine games wasn’t fun,” Burrow said Monday, speaking via Geoff Hobson of the team website.. “Missing the postseason for a third consecutive season wasn’t fun, and neither was the team missing the postseason.”
Then he turned to what comes next—how he plans to keep playing through the grind. If he’s going to sustain it, he said, he needs to “have fun.”
The quarterback’s tone shifted after that, though.. In his view. the Bengals’ offseason has been aimed at changing what’s been holding the defense back. and he sounded satisfied with the direction.. “They’re going to keep getting great players to come play for the Bengals. and when they do that. then it’s my job and Zac’s job and the leaders of this team to bring the locker room together and then go execute on the field. ” Burrow said.. “We have everything we need.”
Burrow pointed to specific moves—first. a “big trade for a big-time player. ” then the addition of “a free agent top safety on the market. ” along with other additions.. He said the rookies will matter too, and that the team will see how they end up.. But the early signs, for him, are about attitude and leadership more than paperwork.. “But first impressions. we’ve got guys that care about the game. care about their job. and want to be great. ” he said.. “When you have young guys like that and veterans like we do, it’s a recipe for success.”
The name-checking didn’t feel scripted. Burrow pointed specifically to defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, safety Bryan Cook, and edge rusher Jonathan Allen. “You can feel the vibe and the leadership has changed in the locker room a little bit,” he said. “It’s exciting for everyone.”
He described what that has looked like day-to-day: “B.. Cook. in the limited time he’s been here. you can feel his presence early.” Burrow added that Lawrence has made an impact too. and said the defensive line now has “a lot of guys” around it.. He also brought up Jonathan Allen, and then pointed out that Myles [Murphy] is moving with more energy this year.. “Myles [Murphy] is walking around with a little more pep in his step this year,” Burrow said.. “That’s exciting to see.. I think he grew in confidence from the last five, six games.. We need to carry that over, and I’m excited to see that.”
Even the schedule, Burrow said, fits the rhythm they want. The Bengals open the season with seven consecutive 1 p.m. starts—something he said is the first time in his seven seasons. “That’s good,” Burrow said. “When we go on the road, we get back home early and watch more football.”
He framed it as a practical edge: more time watching games. studying what teams are doing. and learning what defenses are running.. “We’ll try to get flexed a couple of times into the sweet spot later in the season,” he said.. “Everybody feels like this is going to be an exciting season for us. so now we put in the work over the next several months to put the pieces in place to get to where we want.”
Joe Burrow Cincinnati Bengals 2025 season injuries missed postseason defense rebuild Zac Taylor Dexter Lawrence Bryan Cook Jonathan Allen Myles Murphy NFL schedule 1 p.m. starts flexed games