Ever since the Cincinnati Bengals drafted Joe Burrow, he's unquestionably been the face of the franchise. Despite what critics say, Burrow is the driving force behind their success in the 2020s. He's arguably the biggest reason why this team, despite all its issues, is still a top contender in the league.
That's part of the problem with this new era of Bengals football, though. Even when everything else is going wrong, Cincinnati relies on Burrow to cover for their incompetence.
In fact, one could argue Burrow's already-excellent MVP case this season to date is only strengthened by the organization's limitations. Or to be direct about it, their failed acquisition of Arnold Ebiketie at the trade deadline.
It's part of the reason why Cincinnati wasn't able to fully capitalize on their two-year stretch of deep playoff runs. Instead of making sure that everything else around Burrow runs smoothly and efficiently, they just hope and pray that the star quarterback saves them.
"No need to worry, Joe's got us."
Burrow can only cover for so much Bengals ineptitude
In the 2022 offseason, the Bengals had a decision to make regarding star safety Jessie Bates III. Bates was unquestionably an important piece of the defense, one of the few players holding together their suspect secondary.
However, in their infinite wisdom (and cheapness), the Bengals decided to let one of the best safeties in the league and thought that they could replace his production with incoming sophomore Dax Hill.
"No need to worry, Joe's got us."
In the 2024 and 2025 seasons, it was painfully clear that the Bengals' defense had regressed severely. Their defense was a severe liability that legitimately hindered their chances of winning games due to their awful play.
What did they do after that? They made small moves in the 2025 offseason that ended up making their defense worse, and they didn't do anything significant at the trade deadline, despite still having a legitimate chance of making a playoff run. It's like they were hoping that Burrow, as always, would get them out of the jam they're in.
"No need to worry, Joe's got us."
We though this changed this season. The Bengals, perhaps pressured by the possibility of Burrow's potential departure, finally made big moves in the offseason.
They traded for star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and signed two important defensive players in Boye Mafe and Bryan Cook. These moves have elevated Cincinnati's defense, yes, but anyone watching the games could see that there were still some big issues that needed to be addressed.
The Bengals' linebacker play is maddeningly inconsistent. They don't have a good nickel cornerback to match other team's personnel. Cincinnati struggles against the run, and they lost one of their best pass-rushers in Cashius Howell for a significant time. For a team that's supposedly gearing up for a Super Bowl run, it's the perfect time to swing for the fences, just like what the Jaguars and Bills did.
They didn't pull off a blockbuster trade, but the Bengals did make a trade at the deadline, trading for Eagles pass-rusher Arnold Ebiketie. He was supposed to help fill the void left by Howell and add more oomph to their run defense. But we didn't get that either! The Bengals' front office got scared off by the mere thought of losing a compensatory draft pick, and instead reneged on the deal.
Once again, this deal reeks of complacency. Seeing the 6-2 record and the defense being somewhat passable, the front office was once again content with just letting things go the way they're going. Once again, they're relying on Joe Burrow to carry this suspect defense to the finish line. Because, after all, they've been conditioned that no matter what happens, Burrow will be able to cover for their poor management decisions.
"No need to worry, Joe's got us."
Burrow does have the ability to carry this team to a Super Bowl. He's flanked by two of the best receivers in the league and he has arguably the best offensive line he's seen in years. However, why put unnecessary pressure on your star, when you make things much easier for him?
Fans have been calling for Burrow to stop playing hero ball on the field, to just take the sack and/or throw the ball away when a play isn't there. I'm one of those people as well. However, can you really blame Burrow for playing this way, when he's basically demanded by the front office to make do with what he has right now.
Add us as a preferred source on Google