Joe Burrow raises eyebrows with comments about 'fun' amid Bengals' dwindling playoff hopes

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow celebrated his 29th birthday on Wednesday while realizing that the 4-9 Bengals likely won't take part in the playoff this season. 

Thus, eyebrows were raised when he told reporters shortly after the Bengals suffered a 39-34 loss at the Buffalo Bills on Dec. 7 that he wanted to "go have fun [and] play football" through Week 18. 

Joe Burrow has already "been through a lot" as a pro

"If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing it," Burrow said on Wednesday when asked to expand on his original comment, per Ben Baby of ESPN. "I've been through a lot, and if it's not fun, then what am I doing it for? So that's the mindset I'm trying to bring to the table."

Burrow seemingly was referencing the numerous physical setbacks he has endured since the Bengals made him the first overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. He suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee in November of his rookie season, and his 2023 campaign ended prematurely because of a wrist injury. More recently, Burrow went down with a toe injury in Week 2 of this season that left him needing surgery and kept him out of action until Week 13. 

Meanwhile, Burrow hasn't played in a playoff game since January 2023. 

"I think I've been through more than most," Burrow acknowledged. "Certainly not easy on the brain or the body, so just trying to have fun doing it again."

Joe Burrow opens up about mindset for final weeks of season

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk was among NFL insiders who said that it's fair "to wonder whether [Burrow is] thinking about walking away from the game, or perhaps whether he’s thinking about trying to join a new team" during the upcoming offseason. On Wednesday, Burrow indicated that he wants to put on a show for the home fans when the Bengals host the 6-7 Ravens this coming Sunday. 

"Number one, I work hard for it," Burrow said about his mindset. "Number two, this is, at the end of the day, the entertainment industry. And I want to go out and play well, and if you're playing well and scoring points and winning games, then it's usually fun to watch."

The Bengals trail the Ravens and the 7-6 Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North standings. As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had Cincinnati as a 2.5-point home underdog against Baltimore.