Possibility of history repeating itself should make Bengals take Joe Burrow's comments very seriously

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow's meeting with the media on Wednesday was a very grim and bleak session. He seemed down, depressed and talked about how he really has not been having fun, and if he is not having fun, what is the point of doing any of this?

He would not dive into any of the specifics of when he stopped having fun, or whether it was football-related or personal-related, but it was still something that should be a great concern for the Bengals. 

Especially since it would not be totally unheard of for a top-tier quarterback, in the prime of their career, to walk away from a team or a sport.

Bengals have to take Burrow's comments seriously

Since being selected No. 1 overall by the Bengals in 2020, Burrow's career has been a little rocky at times. Injuries have robbed him of significant portions of seasons, including most of the 2025 season. The team has made the playoffs just two times, while management has not adequately surrounded him with a supporting cast that is capable of winning. The poor offensive line has put his health in jeopardy, while the defense, which has been one of the worst in the NFL over the past three years, has made it so even 30-40 points are not enough to win games. 

All of that can wear on a player.

The Bengals should know this better than anybody, because they have been through it before.

Carson Palmer was the No. 1 overall pick for the Bengals in 2003 and expected to be their franchise quarterback. And for several years, he was. But as injuries mounted, and the team sunk into mediocrity and struggled to win, Palmer threatened retirement after the 2010 season until he was eventually traded to the Raiders to continue his career. 

It was also just seven years ago that former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, after years of injuries and taking a beating physically, abruptly walked away from the game just before the start of the 2019 season.

The Bengals still have four games remaining this season, and even though everything at this point is vague and open to speculation, the team should at least have some concern about what its franchise quarterback wants out of his career. Or where he wants to play it.