The Cincinnati Bengals could be in the process of wasting Joe Burrow‘s career. Burrow is entering his sixth-year with the Bengals since being the first-overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He’s already taken the team to a Super Bowl, proven to be one of the league’s elite quarterbacks, had an incredible individual season in 2024 and, yet…his organization is letting him down.
Sure, there are plenty who would point to the team locking up stud wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase (maybe the best receiver in the NFL depending on your thoughts on Justin Jefferson) and Tee Higgins. Okay, that’s great.
But what about the running game? The defense? The offensive line?
The harsh reality of the offensive line
Obviously, most of the NFL is watching what the Philadelphia Eagles have done in building a championship roster. On offense, the Eagles’ philosophy is 1. Get a quarterback, and 2. Build your offensive line. It’s been that way since Andy Reid joined the organization in 1999 and it’s still true today.
The Bengals are set on No. 1, Burrow is elite. But, his protection is putrid.
Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis presents some really disturbing statistical information about Burrow’s protection. Sounding speechless and stunned, he tweets:
“I don’t even know what to say
this is ridiculous
Bengals OL rank in pass block win rate by year:
2021: #30
2022: #30
2023: #27
2024: #32
no other OL comes close to this putrid
only OL to rank #25 or worse 4 straight years”
And, it’s not just that the poor o-line play affects Burrow’s passing (it certainly does even though the stats don’t show it), it also kills your run game. Chase Brown is a fine running back and could probably be very productive if he had some blocking in front of him. He’s entering his third season and last year he toted the rock for 990 yards and seven touchdowns for a 4.3-yards per carry, which isn’t bad at all.
But, any lack of production from Brown and the running game negatively affects Burrow. Tony Romo didn’t show his full potential until 2014. Why? DeMarco Murray ran for an NFL-leading 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns. It’s amazing what happens when you don’t ask your quarterback to do everything.
For the record, the Bengals didn’t sign any splash free agent offensive linemen this offseason, and waited until the third round of the draft to address the issue. They took University of Georgia guard Dylan Fairchild with the No. 81-overall pick, so it doesn’t seem like some vast improvement to the line awaits.
The defense doesn’t seem to be getting better
And why did the Bengals wait to address the offensive line in the draft? They were busy using their first two selections this year on the NFL’s 25th-ranked defense in 2024. This is what happens when your roster has so many glaring holes, there are simply only so many resources.
The potential Trey Hendrickson debacle has been well documented. I say “potential,” but the debacle is already here. Hendrickson is on the final year of a contract that pays him $16 million this year. At 30-years old, he wants to be traded or get a new deal. Or, he’s willing to sit out and miss games. Keep mind, Hendrickson had an NFL-leading 17.5 sacks in each of the last two years. So, as bad as the defense is, subtract 17.5 sacks from that.
What about the pair of draft picks taken in the first two rounds? Well, Shemar Stewart and Demetrius Knight, Jr. remained unsigned and out practices. So, there’s that. The Bengals have decided to quibble over relatively minor contract details rather than just get them signed and acclimated.
All of this affects Burrow, who is holding up his end of the bargain on his mega-deal. In 2023, he signed a five-year, $275 million contract extension and one would think that the Bengals want to get every penny out of him that they can. Especially considering how the Brown family is with money.
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