Joe Burrow didn’t have to suit up again this season. With the Cincinnati Bengals already out of playoff contention and a battered campaign behind him, no one would've blamed the franchise quarterback for shutting it down and focusing on 2026.
But that’s not who Burrow is. He came back - for his teammates, for the city, and for the love of the game.
And while his effort was respected in the locker room, the reception from the home crowd at Paycor Stadium told a different story.
On Sunday, the Bengals were thoroughly outclassed by the Baltimore Ravens in a 24-0 loss that stung in more ways than one. The Ravens defense came into Cincinnati and left no doubt, pitching a shutout and handing the Bengals their 10th loss of the season - the first time they’ve hit double-digit defeats since 2020.
And while Lamar Jackson didn’t light up the stat sheet with just 150 passing yards, he did exactly what his team needed: manage the game, extend drives, and finish in the red zone. It was a methodical dismantling, and it left the Bengals - and their fans - searching for answers.
Burrow, making just his second start since returning from injury in Week 13 (a game he won, ironically, against these same Ravens), struggled mightily. He finished 25-of-39 for 225 yards, but the stat line tells only part of the story.
Two interceptions, no touchdowns, and a Bengals offense that never found its rhythm. It was his worst performance of the season - and the fans let him know it.
The frustration boiled over on the sidelines and in the stands. Cameras caught star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase exchanging words with fans behind the bench.
Chase, clearly fed up with the heckling, fired back: “If you don’t like it, you can go the f- home.” It wasn’t just talk.
Video later surfaced showing a fan tossing a Burrow jersey onto the field in frustration, pointing toward the quarterback just as he released a pass. It was a moment that captured the mood in Cincinnati - raw, emotional, and bitterly disappointed.
This isn’t how it’s supposed to go for a franchise quarterback. Burrow has been the face of the Bengals’ revival, the cool, confident leader who brought swagger back to a team long overshadowed in the AFC North. But football is a results business, and after three straight seasons without a playoff berth, the honeymoon is officially over.
To his credit, Burrow didn’t deflect or sugarcoat after the game. He stood in front of the cameras and took the heat, calling himself “the worst QB in the league” on Sunday. That kind of accountability matters, especially in a locker room that still believes in its leader, even when the scoreboard doesn’t.
The Bengals now turn the page on a frustrating year, one that began with high hopes and ends with more questions than answers. They’ll need to regroup in the offseason - retool the roster, address the gaps, and figure out how to get back to the level that made them contenders not long ago.
But one thing is clear: Joe Burrow isn’t walking away from the challenge. He came back when he didn’t have to.
That says something. Now it’s up to the Bengals to build around him - and for Cincinnati fans to remember why they believed in him in the first place.