Joe Burrow, on future with Bengals, says 'crazy things happen' - ESPN

CINCINNATI — Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow fielded a question Wednesday that seemed irrational to broach even a few weeks ago.

Burrow was asked if he ever envisioned playing for another franchise. The inquiry comes a week after Burrow said that he wanted to have fun if he was going to keep playing football, which created significant speculation about everything from retirement to seeking a new team. Technically, it is a possibility.

«A lot of crazy things happen every year,» Burrow said Wednesday.

But for that to actually occur, several things have to take place in a specific order.

First, either the Bengals or Burrow would want to move on from each other. Cincinnati made its feelings about Burrow clear when the Bengals signed him to a $275 million contract extension in 2023 that made him one of the highest-paid players in league history. Even if the Bengals decided Burrow is no longer the franchise cornerstone, Burrow has a no-trade clause in his contract that currently runs through 2029, with options that could extend the deal all the way through 2032.

From his end, Burrow assuaged any fears by saying he «can't see» any world in which he's not with the Bengals in 2026, even though Cincinnati (4-10) will miss the playoffs for the third straight season. Burrow's universe seemingly became unmoored following his comments from his midweek news conference ahead of last week's loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Since then, he has spent much of the past week being asked about his thoughts and feelings — including by those close to him.

That includes those close to him.

«That's how it goes,» Burrow said. «Certainly, have some texts that didn't make a lot of sense to me after all that.»

The sixth-year quarterback and two-time MVP