The Cincinnati Bengals are Ruining the Prime of Joe Burrow

During the 2021 NFL season, second year Quarterback Joe Burrow led the Cincinnati Bengals to their first Super Bowl since 1989. Unfortunately for the Bengals, they fell to the Los Angeles Rams by a score of 23-20. Even with a loss, the Bengals were seen as a team with an extremely bright future, in large part to having a franchise Quarterback that is set to enter the prime of his career.

Ever since this Super Bowl run, the Bengals front office and coaching staff have failed miserably to put a winning team around Joe Burrow. Having a quarterback of Burrow’s caliber is a privilege, and there is absolutely no reason to not make the playoffs year in and year out. With that, the Bengals have somehow managed to not qualify for the playoffs the last two seasons. The main cause of their mediocre play has been their poor defense and lack of protection for Burrow. Their defense has allowed an average of 22.6 points per game during the last three seasons and has been slowly declining as they gave up 25.5 ppg this past season. Burrow has also been one of the most sacked quarterbacks in the past 3 years, ranking 6th and 5th in 2022 and 2024, respectively. Believe it or not, this stat could be much worse if it wasn’t for Burrow’s outstanding pocket presence and raw talent. Both of these statistics are often seen from teams towards the bottom of the league, not playoff teams and Lombardi Trophy contenders.

A major decision that affected the future outlook of the Cincinnati Bengals was the decision to wait on re-signing Ja’marr Chase. Chase was eligible for an extension last offseason and it’s safe to say he proved that he was worth a large investment. His chemistry with Burrow has been evident as Chase has recorded four straight 1,000 yard seasons, doing so in just 12 games in 2022. Chase has also recorded 100 receptions or more the past two seasons. Instead of giving him what he deserved at the time, the Bengals chose to franchise tag him which delayed the process another year. In doing so, Chase put up his best season yet finishing with 1,708 receiving yards and 17 TDs. Chase also came in 3rd place in offensive player of the year voting behind Saquan Barkley and Lamar Jackson. This gave the Bengals no choice but to make him the highest paid WR in the league. If Cincinnati had chosen to lock him up earlier, they could have saved a solid amount of money which would have freed up more cap space to fill the much needed holes on their defense.

Another massive mistake the Bengals front office has made is the handling of Trey Hendrickson’s contract this offseason. He is coming off a career season where he led the entire NFL with 17.5 sacks, which is well deserving of a hefty contract extension. Edge rushers are arguably the most important position on an NFL defense as they disrupt the passing game without needing to send pressure. This allows defenses to drop more players into coverage while also applying intense pressure to the QB. Some of the league’s best defenses like the Steelers, 49ers, and Lions all are built around superstar edge rushers. For some reason, Cincinnati still does not want to reward Hendrickson with a long term deal. Having a player like him on your defense can also help recruit other high end talent to come play alongside him. During a recent press conference at OTA’s in May, Hendrickson made it clear that he will not play for the Bengals under his current contract in 2025. Their defense could go from bad to worse, if that is even possible, if they can’t get something worked out.

Instead of addressing a position of need with Hendrickson, the Bengals decided to re-sign WR Tee Higgins to a 4-year, $115 million dollar deal. Leading the league in passing yards, Cincinnati is arguably the best offense in football and one would think they would feel comfortable shifting their priority to Hendrickson over Higgins. Higgins recorded 911 receiving yards and 10 TDs in just 12 games last season. It is safe to say he plays a big role in their electric offense, but with already locking up Ja’Marr Chase, it doesn’t seem like a priority to re-sign him. This decision has now significantly downgraded their already lackluster defense and has also ruined their relationship with their star pass rusher.

In terms of their 2025 draft and free agency, the Bengals failed to make significant moves to fill their holes. The offensive line, defensive line, and the secondary are all still not good enough to compete with the league’s best. In free agency, they added some smaller veteran pieces that are past their primes. These additions will not push their defense and offensive line over the edge in 2025. If the Hendrickson saga continues into the season, their defense is going to be in loads of trouble. The Bengals however did draft heavily on defense, for the first time in a while, but still lack the star power that all teams need on that side of the ball.

The Cincinnati Bengals are wasting the best years of Joe Burrow. What was once a promising future centered around a generational quarterback has been diminished by questionable decisions and a lack of urgency from the front office. Joe has shown time and time again that he is capable of leading this team deep into the playoffs. However, like any other Quarterback, he needs the proper support. For years, they have failed to properly protect him, and put a playoff caliber defense around him. While the 2025 draft showed some promise that they are heading in the right direction, their past moves have overshadowed the importance of that. If the Bengals continue down this path, they will waste the prime years of one of the league’s elite quarterbacks.