Joe Burrow Sets the Record Straight: “I Just Want to Play Ball”
CINCINNATI - After a week of swirling speculation and social media overreaction, Joe Burrow finally addressed the noise - and made it clear: he’s not walking away from football, and he’s not walking away from the Bengals.
The Cincinnati quarterback sparked a wave of confusion last week with some cryptic comments during his midweek press conference. He’d mentioned there was “a lot going on,” both personally and professionally, following a tough loss to Buffalo.
That opened the door for speculation - was Burrow thinking about retirement? Was he unhappy in Cincinnati?
Then came Sunday’s 24-0 home loss to the Ravens - one of the worst games of Burrow’s six-year NFL career - and the questions only got louder.
This week, Burrow put all of it to bed.
“No, I’m not retiring,” he said. “No, I don’t want out of Cincinnati.
My comments had nothing to do with the Bengals. They had everything to do with me and my mindset in football.”
Burrow acknowledged that the injuries he’s battled - and there have been plenty - have taken a toll on him mentally. But he made it clear: he still wants to win, and more importantly, he still wants to have fun doing it.
That “if I want to keep doing this” comment from last week? That’s what lit the match. But Burrow clarified it wasn’t a hint at quitting - just an honest reflection about how injuries have forced him to think about the long-term.
“You think about all different possibilities that could happen,” he said. “But I’m going to be playing for a long time. I expect to play for a long time, and I expect to play well - and consistently great - for a long time.”
Burrow also addressed the idea of his future in Cincinnati. When asked if he could envision not being a Bengal next season, he didn’t shut the door completely - but he didn’t open it either.
“I can’t see a world where I’m not here next year,” Burrow said. “But yeah, I think about a lot of things.”
He’s not wrong to do so. This is the NFL, after all - where Tom Brady finishes his career in Tampa Bay and Peyton Manning wins a Super Bowl in Denver. As Burrow put it: “Crazy things can happen.”
Still, he’s not angling for an exit. He’s focused on fixing what’s broken - both with his health and with the Bengals’ trajectory.
After back-to-back AFC North titles in 2021 and 2022, plus a Super Bowl appearance and another AFC Championship Game, the Bengals have now missed the playoffs for a third straight year. Injuries have been a major part of that - especially to Burrow himself.
In 2023, he suffered a season-ending injury. He bounced back with a Comeback Player of the Year performance last season but still missed the playoffs.
This year, turf toe surgery sidelined him for nine games. In total, he’s played just one full season in the last three years.
“Obviously, we haven’t been where we want to be the last three years,” Burrow said. “A big part of that is injuries on my end.
I played four games this year. It’s hard to make an impact on a season when you’ve played four games.
I need to figure out a way to be available for everybody here.”
That’s priority No. 1 for Burrow - staying on the field. Because when he’s healthy, the Bengals are contenders. And he knows they’re not far off.
He still believes in the locker room, and he’s standing behind the coaching staff. But he also hinted that the organization needs to take a hard look at how it operates.
“I have a lot of confidence in everybody that’s putting together the plans for us week in and week out,” Burrow said. “That’s not to say that changes don’t need to be made.
I’m not saying personnel or people. I’m just saying what we’ve been doing hasn’t worked the last couple of years.
We have to think outside the box and get creative about where we go from here.”
That’s a message from a leader who’s not looking to point fingers - but also not interested in repeating the same mistakes.
And as for the idea that the Bengals should shut him down for the rest of the season to protect him or improve draft position? Burrow’s not hearing it.
He wants to play. Period.
“I like playing football,” he said. “Same reasons I pushed to come back from injury.
Same reasons I want to play this week. It feels like everybody’s trying to do everything in their power to make me not play football - and I feel like I’m fighting it.
I’m fighting everybody else. I just want to play ball.
That’s all I want to do.”
That’s the mindset he’s bringing into Sunday’s game in Miami. The Bengals may be out of the playoff hunt, but for Burrow, these last three games still matter. They’re about pride, about performance, and about setting the tone for what’s next.
Because if he’s on the field, Burrow’s never mailing it in.
Next Up:
- Who: Cincinnati at Miami
- When: 1 p.m. Sunday
- Watch: CBS, Paramount+
- Listen: 700-AM, 104.7-FM
Joe Burrow isn’t done. Not even close.