Bengals make inexplicable Joe Burrow decision after playoff elimination

The Cincinnati Bengals have officially been eliminated from playoff contention.

Their 24-0 loss to the Baltimore Ravens was the last nail in their coffin, and they should be thinking about draft positioning at this point. That's why their decision to keep Joe Burrow on the field isn't just reckless or hard to explain; it might actually be organizational malpractice. Still, head coach Zac Taylor has no plans to sit the former No. 1 pick.

Bengals won't bench Joe Burrow

Taylor, who might be on the hot seat after consecutive seasons without making the playoffs, revealed that he intends to keep playing Burrow in meaningless games "because we want to win."

The Bengals will close out the season with games against the Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns, all of whom have already been eliminated from playoff contention as well.

This is the same team that has routinely failed to protect a quarterback who had to miss a big chunk of the season with a foot injury. Burrow is one of the best signal-callers in the game, and the only reason why the Bengals had a slim shot to make the playoffs in the first place.

Keeping him out there with his history of injuries is a disservice to him and to the organization. And with a team that clearly needs to revamp the roster, passing on an opportunity to get a better draft pick to win meaningless games when it didn't do so when it mattered doesn't make much sense.