The Cincinnati Bengals’ 2025 season has gone off the rails, and there’s no sugarcoating it. Sitting at 4-9 heading into Week 15, the team has struggled to find its footing without Joe Burrow, who’s missed most of the year due to a turf toe injury. And now, with frustration mounting and playoff hopes long gone, the noise around Burrow’s future is getting louder - and a lot more bizarre.
On a recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, NFL analyst Nick Wright floated a trade proposal that turned heads and raised eyebrows: Joe Burrow to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for Jalen Hurts and a first-round pick.
Yes, really.
Wright’s point was more about sparking conversation than suggesting a deal that could actually happen, but it still sent shockwaves through the NFL discourse. Simmons himself pushed back immediately, calling the idea impractical and pointing out how rare - and nearly impossible - trades of that magnitude are in the NFL.
“You can’t even make football trades like that,” Simmons said, referencing how the NBA’s new salary cap rules have already made blockbuster deals harder to pull off. “If Joe Burrow went to the Eagles, God help us.”
The idea of Burrow suiting up in midnight green is pure fantasy at this point. But the fact that it’s even being discussed speaks to a deeper issue - the uncertainty surrounding Burrow’s mindset and health.
The Bengals’ franchise quarterback made headlines earlier this week with some surprisingly introspective and somber comments. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Burrow opened up about the toll the game has taken on him - physically, mentally, and emotionally.
“If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing it,” Burrow said. “I have been through a lot. And if it’s not fun, then what am I doing it for?”
That’s not exactly the kind of quote fans want to hear from the face of the franchise. Burrow’s comments weren’t angry or accusatory - they were reflective, even vulnerable. And that’s what makes them so striking.
He went on to describe the cumulative wear and tear of his young NFL career - not just the injuries, but the grind of it all.
“I’m not sure there was a singular [turning point],” he said. “It’s just a reflection on a lot of things that I’ve done and been through in my career.
I think I’ve been through more than most. And it’s certainly not easy on the brain or the body.
There’s just a lot of things going on right now.”
These aren’t the words of a player ready to walk away, but they are the words of someone reevaluating what this all means. And after another season derailed by injury, it’s hard to blame him.
Let’s be clear: the Bengals are not trading Joe Burrow. Not now, not next offseason, not anytime soon.
He’s still the heartbeat of this franchise, and when healthy, one of the best quarterbacks in the game. But his tone this week has fans - and maybe even the front office - wondering what comes next.
The hope in Cincinnati is that a strong finish to the season, starting with a win over the division-rival Ravens in Week 15, can inject some life back into the locker room - and maybe lift Burrow’s spirits in the process. Because when he’s locked in and healthy, there are few players in the league more fun to watch.
Right now, though, the Bengals are staring at a lost season, a frustrated fan base, and a quarterback sounding more human than superhero. And while wild trade rumors will come and go, the real story is much simpler - and far more important: keeping Joe Burrow healthy, happy, and in Cincinnati for the long haul.