Joe Burrow's final public remarks at the end of the Cincinnati Bengals' 6-11 season indicated that he'd had it up to here with the front office's lack of meaningful action to improve the team.
Credit where it's due, by golly, the Bengals resoundingly responded by assembling the best roster of Burrow's career to date. And it's not as if the superstar quarterback hasn't noticed the massive paradigm shift within the franchise.
In a just-released new interview, Joe Shiesty expressed unbridled optimism, positivity, and had a far more joyous demeanor than he's had amid three years of no playoffs and two seasons limited by major injuries.
Joe Burrow 'really excited' about Bengals' offseason additions in welcome change from last year
In an exclusive interview with Nick Remsen of Vanity Fair, Burrow was characterized as "genuinely upbeat" by the writer before giving a quote on Cincinnati's acquisitions of Bryan Cook, Dexter Lawrence and more:
“I’m really excited about the moves we made this offseason. We need to get better, so it was exciting to see the initiative from everybody in the organization to realize that we’re in this exciting stage. We’re in our primes playing great football. Finding guys like Dexter and Bryan Cook [...] to, you know, really solidify that defense so the young guys can also kind of rise up. We’re really going to try to achieve what we want to achieve. This is fun...But soon, it’s going to be our job to go out on the field and execute.”
I was thinking that Burrow might have some editorial privileges over the shape of this article, given how guarded and careful he is to give out exclusive interviews like these. However, once the above quote featured the omitted-upon-transcription name of practice squad offensive linemen Jacob Bayer — presumably mistaken for Boye Mafe — that notion was nipped in the bud.
All kidding aside, Burrow was just in attendance at the Met Gala, much to the chagrin of hardo football fans who think he should be, you know, training in the offseason and not wearing weird clothes!
Joe, get on the practice field and actually learn how to play in the NFL.... or just remain Bengal trash.
— Ron (@RancherMO) May 5, 2026
There's more garbage like this from trolls. Almost built a whole article around it. Best not to give these fellers the gratification, if there's such a thing as being called out for weird-energy, trash-take behavior.
Anyway, hence Burrow being interviewed by VF on account of his affinity for fashion. To me, any preoccupation Burrow has with his wardrobe has never interfered with his ability to ball out on the gridiron. If anything, it's more of a complement to his enigmatic personality that gives some insight into the quarterbacking brainiac who loves shredding the competition on Sundays.
In other words, Bengals fans, or strange folk outside the greater Who Dey Nation, shouldn't concern themselves with what Burrow is doing on his own time. Y'all really don't think Joe Brrr is gonna be locked in for the season, or the months leading up to it, now that he has an actual defense to complement him? Trust that he'll be ready to roll and take the league by storm yet again.
And yeah...as for all the trade speculation about Burrow or what his future in Cincinnati may hold? Sure sounds like that's the furthest thing from his mind. Right now, he's thinking Super Bowl — and rightfully so.
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