Bengals get major update on Joe Burrow's future in Cincinnati from ESPN insider

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May 14, 2026 - 15:04

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Injured Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) walks the field shaking hands after the NFL Week 7 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Bengals get major update on Joe Burrow's future in Cincinnati from ESPN insider originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Quarterbacks of Joe Burrow's caliber are rarely traded.

That didn't stop some pestering trade rumors involving the Cincinnati Bengals QB in recent months.

In reality, they probably were just rumors, nothing more.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrote in a new article on Thursday:

"Common sense prevails here in league circles: Burrow, who turns 30 in December, is one of the league's elite passers, and no smart team would trade him, even if the player requested a move."

The Bengals have built an offense around Burrow meant to help him thrive. Most teams don't pay two wide receivers top dollar, but Cincy did that with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

Cincinnati also did what it could to improve its roster this offseason.

"The Bengals sensed the urgency to build a winner around Burrow this offseason, acquiring significant defensive improvements in free agency and via trade," Fowler writes. "The move for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence was the centerpiece. The offense returns all 11 starters from last year."

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Even Fowler couldn't help himself, though. At the end of this blurb, he pointed out that "Burrow's contract is quite tradeable in 2027."

The reality is that Burrow simply needs to win. If he and the Bengals get back toward the top of the AFC and contend for the Super Bowl, there will be a lot fewer questions about how everything is working in Cincinnati.

But even now, it sounds like a Burrow trade isn't something to worry about. The Bengals are moving forward with their franchise guy.