Star quarterback Joe Burrow clarified on Sunday that he wasn’t speaking about the Cincinnati Bengals when he made public comments suggesting he isn’t having much fun playing football this season.
Nobody in Cincinnati was having much fun on Sunday, as the Bengals lost 24-10 against the Baltimore Ravens, dropping to 4-10 on the season. Burrow had a rough afternoon, throwing for 225 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions while taking three sacks.
He took accountability for those struggles, calling it “one of the worst games that I’ve played.”
Burrow certainly raised some eyebrows with his original comments.
“If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing it,” he told reporters. “I’ve been through a lot and if it’s not fun, then what am I doing it for? So that’s the mindset I’m trying to bring to the table.”
Even Ja’Marr Chase was surprised, essentially asking reporters if Burrow’s comments were a fake AI-generated meme before saying he saw little indication from the quarterback that he wasn’t happy.
“From what I see, he seems the same every day,” he told reporters Thursday. “Comes to work, ready to play. Comes to practice, the same guy. He helps me every day. No negativity in the building from him.”
Burrow’s comments nonetheless felt pointed. When the star quarterback returned from injury in Week 13 against the Ravens, the Bengals were in a 3-8 hole. He helped them knock off the Ravens in his first week back, but consecutive losses in the past two weeks sealed a third straight season without a playoff berth.
It’s pretty obvious the team has enormous deficiencies on the offensive line and defensive side of the ball. It certainly can’t be fun getting hit as often as Burrow has during his career.
Whatever the basis for his comments, it wasn’t a good sign. Burrow isn’t going anywhere, but it’s become abundantly clear that the Bengals need a better operation around him.
