I don’t think I’ve ever made a Super Bowl prediction based on what a quarterback has said in June, but Joe Burrow might have just talked me into taking the Cincinnati Bengals to win the Super Bowl.
Right now, the confidence is just oozing out of Burrow and it’s contagious, which is a stark contrast from where the Bengals were six months ago. Back in December, Burrow held his infamous birthday press conference and I’m pretty sure you know the one I’m talking about. He looked like he was being held hostage and after the press conference was over, everyone assumed it was just a matter of time before he demanded a trade out of Cincinnati (And yes, that entire ordeal actually went down on his birthday).
The Bengals’ front office clearly got the message because it responded with what was easily the most impressive offseason in franchise history. The Bengals went out and made several key free agency signings with the additions of players like Bryan Cook and Boye Mafe. This team has been known to shop in the bargain bin during free agency, but the franchise opened up its checkbook this year.
It wasn’t just free agency, though, the Bengals also pulled off one of the most shocking trades of the offseason in April with the acquisition of Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.
The Bengals’ defense has been the team’s biggest weak link for the past two seasons, but they might have finally plugged their defensive holes and no one seems more excited about that fact than Burrow.
Based on his two press conferences this offseason, not only is Burrow happy, but he’s absolutely convinced that this team can win the Super Bowl and he’s not afraid to say it.
Burrow doesn’t say something unless he means it and he thinks his team is a legitimate Super Bowl threat this year.
Let’s break down what Burrow has said this offseason
Burrow’s LSU comment: Why it should frighten the rest of the NFL
During his press conference on Wednesday, Burrow made a very interesting comment: He compared this year’s Bengals to his 2019 team at LSU.
“You go back and watch what I said before the 2019 season at LSU, I feel very similarly about this team,” Burrow said. “I’m so excited to get started and get moving. I wish we ramped this right into training camp so we can continue to improve.”
Just as a refresher: The 2019 LSU team went 15-0 during a national championship season that saw Burrow win the Heisman.
So what did Burrow actually say about his LSU team back in 2019? During an interview in July 2019, he predicted that the Tigers would light up the scoreboard.
“I think we’re going to score a lot of points, and I don’t think a lot of people are used to LSU scoring 40, 50, 60 points a game,” Burrow said.
LSU was absolutely loaded that year with Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson at receiver along with Clyde Edwards-Helaire at running back, but some people scoffed at Burrow’s remark. Not because of the lack of talent, but because no one thought LSU would be able to put up numbers like that every week in the SEC.
In the end, that’s exactly what they did. The Tigers ended up averaging 48.4 points per game on their way to winning the College Football Playoff National Championship.
This year, Burrow will be running it back with an offense that will be returning every starter.
“We have all the starters back, so that’s a great feeling,” Burrow said. “We don’t have any young guys, any new guys coming in that you really need to count on. The guys that are young and come in and produce and perform is kind of like icing on the cake for us at this point.”
Burrow has never compared any of his prior Bengals teams to his 2019 LSU team. That alone should tell you just how sky high his expectations are for 2026. And keep in mind, the Bengals QB has been to two AFC title games and a Super Bowl, so he knows what it takes to get to the top of the mountain and he seems convinced that the Bengals are ready to scale the tallest peaks this year.
Burrow has stepped up as a leader in the locker room
The Bengals quarterback hasn’t exactly been known as a vocal leader in the locker room over the course of his career, but he’s trying to change that this year. Burrow’s role as a leader has slowly evolved over his six NFL seasons, and now, heading into his seventh year, he’s being more vocal than ever.
“If something isn’t up to a standard, then calling it out right then and there,” Burrow said. “Maybe a little louder than I have in the past. That’s a growth as a leader that maybe I keep doing it, maybe I don’t. I don’t know, but certainly try it out and just try to bring a little intensity to the room.”
Burrow’s new leadership style hasn’t gone unnoticed. Veteran defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, who just signed with the team in March, doesn’t know what Burrow was like before, but he views the QB as a true leader.
“You can tell when someone is trying to be a fake leader,” Allen said this week, via Bengals.com. “They’re trying to be a leader, but they don’t have natural leadership qualities. …. Honestly, that’s why guys like me come here. To play with a guy like that and do whatever I can to help him get over the hump.”
The guys in charge of protecting Burrow can also see how his leadership skills have evolved. Right tackle Amarius Mims is going into his third season with the Bengals and he said the changes in Burrow have been clear as day.
“I definitely see it,” Mims said, via Bengals.com. “As a quarterback and leader of our team, he does a great job communication-wise. Being a little more vocal. When he talks, everybody listens. He’s the heart and soul of our team.”
Early in his career, it seemed like Burrow was only a leader when he had to be, but now, he seems to be embracing the role. Burrow has turned into a leader both on and off the field and he seems very aware that this team will only go as far he can take him. He’s putting the pressure on himself, which is a good thing for the Bengals, because Burrow is a guy who loves pressure.
Burrow is embracing the pressure
Burrow hasn’t been shy about putting as much pressure on the Bengals as possible. He clearly wants this year’s team to know that winning the Super Bowl should be the expectation, a point he made at his first press conference of the offseason back in May.
“We’re gonna go win a lot of games this year, and play great, and win a Super Bowl,” Burrow said on May 20.
In that same press conference, he made it clear that, on paper, this is the best team he’s ever played with during his time in Cincinnati.
“I think this is the most talented roster that we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Burrow said.
The Bengals are favored to win 15 of their 17 games this year and it seems like Burrow has even higher expecations than that.
“We’re going into and we’re expecting to win every game that we step foot on the field,” Burrow said. “Obviously, you want to win the Super Bowl and that’s certainly the plan, but you got to take it one day at a time and one week at a time.”
The 29-year-old quarterback always thinks carefully before he says anything, so he knows exactly how the outside world will perceive all of his comments this offseason.
“I want everyone talking about the Bengals,” Burrow said. “I want everyone talking about what I’m saying in my press conferences.”
When you say that your team is going to win the Super Bowl, that puts pressure on everyone, which is something that Burrow is well aware of. That’s part of the reason why he’s been making these comments publicly rather than just keeping them in the locker room.
“Put pressure on guys. I love it. I thrive in it. We’ll find out who else does,” Burrow said. “I know that we have the kind of people that want to be in that spot.”
The pressure is definitely on the Bengals this year. After three straight seasons of missing the playoffs, there could be some serious fallout if this team fails to make the postseason, but based on Burrow’s confidence, that almost doesn’t seem possible.
“A lot of urgency this year,” Burrow said. “We have everything we need. We’re deep at just about every single position on the team.”
In a matter of six months, the Bengals went from the sky is falling to sky-high expectations, and suddenly, this team feels like a dark horse Super Bowl contender.
The Bengals hype train is leaving the station with Burrow as the conductor, and if he’s right about this team, its final stop could be at SoFi Stadium in February for Super Bowl LXI.
