NFL news: Joe Burrow says Bengals have most talented roster since he arrived
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Joe Burrow is excited about the Cincinnati Bengals’ offseason moves and is thinking big.
Burrow, 29, praised the front office for the moves they made to strengthen their defense in free agency.
“This is the most talented roster we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Burrow said while speaking to reporters Wednesday. “The front office has received a lot of backlash from the fans, the public and the media. We can put all of that behind us.
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Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals warms up before his game against the Baltimore Ravens at Paycor Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
“They went and did it with free agency,” he added. “And of course, Dexter (Lawrence) making a trade like that doesn’t happen very often in the NFL, so it’s exciting to see.”
The three-time Pro Bowl quarterback praised the free agent signings of safety Bryan Cook, linebacker Boye Mafe and linebacker Jonathan Allen, as well as the big swing of the offseason: He traded the No. 10 pick for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.
“The number one thing is you have to win,” Burrow said. “We’re going to win a lot of games this year, we’re going to play great and we’re going to win the Super Bowl.”
Burrow said he made no directives or threats to the front office about making additions after a 6-11 season last season.
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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow throws a football during practice on May 12, 2026 in Cincinnati. (Jeff Dean/AP)
“I would say we communicated a lot during free agency,” Burrow said. “We didn’t have our postseason meeting like we normally do. I would say I was less involved this year than in years past.”
The Bengals missed the playoffs for the third straight year last season due in large part to their terrible defense, allowing the third-most points per game in the NFL last season with 28.9.
“I think we know where we need to be better and we went out there and aggressively made it happen,” Burrow said. “We filled some holes that we had from years past, we got better at a lot of positions. We signed the best free agent safety (Cook). We got the best D tackle in the league in my opinion. So we have everything we need in that locker room. We just need to make it happen.”
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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow throws a pass during the second half of the NFL game against the Buffalo Bills on December 7, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. (Gene J. Puskar/AP)
The 29-year-old player said that the energy in the locker room was high and the emotions were palpable.
“It’s no secret that the last few years haven’t gone our way, and there’s a lot of blame going around for that, including from me,” Burrow said. “We’re in a great spot this year. We’ve brought in great people and great players. You can feel the excitement in the locker room. The energy is high right now. We’ve got experienced players who can come in and show the younger guys on defense what it takes, what it means to be great every day. It’s exciting to be a part of it.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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