Joe Burrow has Cincinnati Bengals fans concerned about the future after some unexpected remarks he made this week, and one prominent analyst thinks there are three teams that should start thinking about how they can acquire the star quarterback via trade.
At his press conference on Wednesday, Burrow suggested he has been dealing with “a lot of things” in both his professional and personal life. He seemed to cast doubt on his playing future (at least in Cincinnati) by hinting that he is not enjoying his NFL career at the moment. You can listen to the full comments.
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky discussed the situation during a Thursday morning appearance on the “Unsportsmanlike” radio show. While Orlovsky said he would be stunned if Burrow were to retire, the analyst thinks the New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers should start brainstorming ways they might be able to pry Burrow away from Cincinnati.
“It would shock me if three teams weren’t on the phone today, after what he said yesterday, figuring out how do we make him part of our football team now, three months from now, six months from now, a year from now,” Orlovsky said. “He obviously is in a bad place with that organization. It’s not surprising, but I would be very surprised if he chose not to play football.
“Jets, Raiders, Steelers — those would be the three that if I were those three organizations, I’m in a brainstorm meeting now and we are figuring out a way to get Joe Burrow. And I don’t necessarily care what it takes.
.@dorlovsky says there are three teams that should be brainstorming today about how to get Joe Burrow: the Jets, Raiders, and Steelers. pic.twitter.com/Vu4QqDykxm
— UNSPORTSMANLIKE Radio (@UnSportsESPN) December 11, 2025
The Bengals are 4-9 this season and out of playoff contention. Burrow’s latest injury is the biggest reason for that, and he sounded crushed when he went down early in the year. The former No. 1 overall pick is in just his sixth NFL season, but he has missed significant playing time with torn ACL, wrist injury, foot injury and other ailments. Burrow has been named NFL Comeback Player of the Year twice.
Even if Burrow were to ask the Bengals for a change of scenery, the price to land the 29-year-old would be astronomical. Orlovsky believes the three teams he mentioned should be willing to write a blank check.
