Joe Burrow insists he never had any plans to leave Cincinnati despite another offseason in which the future of the Bengals quarterback was called into question.
Burrow, 29, has spent his entire NFL career in Cincinnati after being drafted first overall in 2020.
In his second season, he led the Bengals to Super Bowl LVI, where they were narrowly beaten by the Los Angeles Rams.
Cincinnati reached the AFC Championship game the following year but Burrow has not played in a playoff game since 2022, with the past few seasons dogged by injuries and disappointment.
Burrow signed a five-year, $275million contract in September 2023 but the Bengals’ struggles in recent years have sparked questions over whether he could head elsewhere.
On the eve of the 2026 season, however, the quarterback reassured supporters: ‘It was never a question in my mind.’
Quarterback Joe Burrow insists he never had any plans to leave the Cincinnati Bengals
Ahead of the season, Burrow reassured supporters: ‘It was never a question in my mind’
He told FOX19: ‘That’s just how I feel. I am where my feet here and I try to attack every day with a championship mindset. And I love it here. I love everything about this place, so we’re going to make it work.’
The Bengals kick off the 2026 season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, just days after Burrow committed his future to the franchise.
‘I mean what I say,’ he said earlier this week. ‘I’m here for the long haul. I’m not going anywhere.’
Currently Burrow is signed through the 2029 season, while his favorite receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase are locked up through 2029 and 2028, respectively.
Together they form one of the most fearsome passing attacks in football, but the trio also accounts for nearly 30 percent of the team’s cap figure, leaving less available cap room for the rest of the roster.
‘I’m not going anywhere,’ Burrow reiterated. ‘I’m just trying to bring a now-or-never mentality to the day-by-day process. If you’re not, what are you doing? Attack the day with a championship mindset. The rest will take care of itself.
‘I’m just really proud to be quarterback of the Bengals,’ he continued. ‘I’m happy to be here. I’m proud to represent the city of Cincinnati, state of Ohio, the Brown family. I’m just proud and I want to make everybody else proud, too.’
Burrow was limited to eight games in 2025 due to a toe injury, and while he did earn Pro Bowl honors, he was understandably disappointed as Cincinnati finished 12th in points scored and 17th in yardage.
‘If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing this,’ Burrow told reporters in December. ‘I have been through a lot. If it’s not fun, then what am I doing it for? That is the mindset I am trying to bring to the table.’
