Joe Burrow is making sure nobody narrows the Bengals’ offseason to just one name.
On Up & Adams this week, Cincinnati’s quarterback talked about the way Dexter Lawrence fits into the bigger picture, and he made it clear the roster additions around him matter just as much. Burrow said Lawrence is part of the championship equation, but he also pointed to the rest of the new faces and returning pieces the Bengals believe can help them stack wins.
“Yeah, of course, of course he's part of that,” Burow noted on the show about Lawrence's championship impact. “But also, a lot of the guys that we've added this off-season: Boye (Mafe), Jonathan (Allen), Bryan Cook, getting DJ Turner back, Dax Hill back, Jalen Davis on the inside. We've got a lot of guys that we feel confident in that can go out and produce and play winning-level football.”
That optimism comes with Burrow about to get back on the field. He is set to play in Thursday night’s preseason opener, his first game action since closing the 2025 season in January.
The Bengals will be at Paycor Stadium for the 7 p.m. ET kickoff against Detroit, and plenty of Cincinnati starters are expected to get a live look at game speed.
Lawrence has already brought a little edge to training camp, and Burrow has been right in the middle of it. On Day 1, the big defender was chirping before practice even got rolling, and then kept coming after the quarterback on the field.
“I wanna see it today, Mr. Burrow,” Dan Hoard noted Lawrence said on Day 1 before practice started.
“You can see it every day, brother,” Burrow responded.
The back-and-forth has been playful, but it also speaks to the tone Lawrence is bringing. After that practice, he explained why he’s pushing Burrow the way he is.
“Somebody has to challenge the King of the Jungle, as they say,” said Lawrence after that practice. “Somebody has to keep him on edge for him to get better and grow.
That competitive spirit won't stop. And with a guy like that, I know he's going to bring it.
It's going to be fun.”
Burrow’s comments and Lawrence’s early camp banter point to the same thing: Cincinnati believes the pieces are coming together, and the quarterback is already buying in.
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Protection issues have cropped up often enough to become a concern, with defensive players consistently finding ways to get into the backfield or work past blockers during practice. The encouraging part for the Bengals is that the run game seems to be moving in the right direction, with Chase Brown showing promise, but Burrows comfort remains the bigger question as camp progresses and the same offensive line is asked to hold up better than it has so far. [Read more 🡒]
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Ivey has already made the kind of impression that tends to matter in August, holding his own in practice against JaMarr Chase and Tee Higgins while continuing to push for a bigger role. For a secondary that still has questions to answer, the competition there feels worth watching, especially with Zac Taylor sounding determined to reset the tone after a rocky stretch and move into the season with a sharper edge. [Read more 🡒]