Burrow Pledges 'Long Haul' to Bengals — SkimNews
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- Joe Burrow told Bengals.com five days before the season opener that he wants to remain with the team for the foreseeable future, stating "I'm here for the long haul" and "I'm not going anywhere."
- Burrow said he is treating 2026 as a "now or never" season and acknowledged his words leave "some room for interpretation," though he insisted his goal is to speak a championship into existence.
- The Bengals went 6-11 in 2025 and have missed the playoffs for three straight years, a drought that followed their 2021 Super Bowl loss to the Rams and 2022 AFC Championship loss to the Chiefs.
- Cincinnati's front office overhauled a maligned defense this offseason, signing defensive end Boye Mafe and safety Bryan Cook in free agency and trading for Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II.
- Coach Zac Taylor, entering his eighth year, said Monday he feels energized and the team has "a good plan in place" heading into the Week 1 opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Why it matters: The Bengals have invested heavily in a defensive overhaul after three straight losing seasons, so Burrow's public commitment lands as the franchise is betting on a 2026 turnaround; if the urgency he described doesn't translate into a playoff push, both the team's window and his "long haul" pledge face renewed scrutiny.
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