Joe Burrow Says 2026 Season Is Now or Never for Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow declared the 2026 season a "now or never" moment for the franchise, expressing intense frustration with repeated playoff failures and a desire to end a three-year postseason drought. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, August 20, after a joint practice with the Chicago Bears, the 29-year-old star made it clear he is tired of deferring success to the future.

"I'm tired of saying next year, next year, next year. This is it," Burrow stated. "Life is too short to keep pushing things down the road, and I'm trying to instill some urgency and some intensity in everybody to go and be great every day and try to go make it happen." He added that he is "trying to manifest" a championship by being direct about the team's goals.

Burrow's comments come after a period of significant struggle for the Bengals. Since reaching Super Bowl LVI in the 2021 season and the AFC Championship Game the following year, the team has missed the playoffs in each of the last three seasons. Burrow himself was limited to just eight games last season due to a foot injury. His current contract runs through the 2029 season, but his remarks have fueled speculation about his...