The Bengals' hopes for the past few seasons have been so reliant on, one, Joe Burrow performing well, and two, him being fit. We've seen how that's worked out. In his six years in the NFL, three seasons have seen Burrow suffer injuries, which slashed the Bengals' playoff hopes every time.
This year, the hope is that with a solid offensive line in front of him, Burrow will be able to remain healthy, but there is never a guarantee. If the Bengals QB suffers another injury this season, Zac Taylor needs to ensure the team can still grind out results in his absence.
The Bengals have been told - they have no excuse
After an offseason where Cincinnati dramatically improved their defense with additions such as Dexter Lawrence, Bryan Cook and Boye Mafe, they find themselves with a much more balanced roster now. Burrow shouldn't expect to carry the team, as there are now countless other playmakers around him.
Former Steelers offensive lineman and Super Bowl XLIII champion Willie Colon says that he expects the Bengals to perform even if Burrow suffers an injury. He said on Good Morning Football that Taylor and the Bengals have no excuse without Burrow.
"Even if Joe Burrow gets hurt again, there’s no excuse for this team because of the defense they have. They should go through muddy waters until Joe gets back again. The Cincinnati Bengals have done enough in the offseason that they should win some games on the road and scare some teams at home."
"On paper they look scary" 😱@willcolon66 wants to see the @Bengals play to their potential pic.twitter.com/SURjNlbbkw
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) July 6, 2026
The Bengals have suffered without Burrow
Since he came into the NFL, Burrow has been injured for 23 games, and the Bengals have a measly record of just 7-16 without their star QB.
Out of those 23 games, nine came last year, and the Bengals were only able to win one of those. However, in those eight losses, they gave up over 20 points in every single one, so clearly the defense wasn't doing their job.
With an improved defense, you would back the Bengals to hold some teams to less than 20 points, or at least less than 30, which might give them a chance to string a few wins together even if Burrow isn't fit. They really have no excuses now.
Add us as a preferred source on Google