The Cincinnati Bengals did next to nothing at the NFL trade deadline, unless you count getting fleeced by Jerry Jones' Dallas Cowboys in a trade centered around team captain Logan Wilson.
Other than getting back a seventh-round pick for Wilson, destroying their linebacker depth in the process, the Bengals made zero other moves. While it could be a blessing in disguise for the long haul, it really stings right now.
But as I sat back and surveyed the aftermath of the trade deadline, I thought about Joe Burrow.
I thought about what the New York Jets did in trading away Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams for a boatload of draft picks. Then I got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Surely not, right? Surely I can't be serious.
Jets trade deadline sets them up to offer Bengals the world for Joe Burrow
I am serious, and don't call me Shirley. That's a line from Airplane! My thoughts on this hypothetical Jets-Bengals Joe Burrow blockbuster trade are hopefully as outlandish as the ridiculous slapstick comedy in that classic flick.
Think about it: Burrow has had three virtual season-ending injuries since the Bengals drafted him No. 1 overall in 2020. Is that his fault? Not at all. It's reality, though.
When he's been healthy all the way through a season, Burrow played at an MVP level in 2024 but missed the playoffs. The other years netted a Super Bowl appearance and another AFC Championship Game berth.
Now that Cincinnati is bound to miss the postseason for a third straight year, and Joe Flacco is lighting it up in Burrow's stead, a trade centered around the latter QB can't be out of the question.
Do I want it to happen? Absolutely not. Joe Burrow is my favorite athlete of all-time. You have to consider, however, that both the Bengals and the Jets are probably stupid enough to do it.
Is there any cost Gang Green wouldn't pay for an elite QB, even with Burrow's medical history? They have all the assets in the world to play with, to the point where Cincinnati could overhaul its entire roster with young, cheap contracts, or trade for multiple proven veterans.
The Jets now have 8 combined picks across the first 2 rounds of the 2026 and 2027 NFL Draft ๐ pic.twitter.com/vWabkoDQqt
โ NFL Network (@nflnetwork) November 5, 2025
A hypothetical Jets-Bengals Joe Burrow trade package
I've digitally traveled from the PFF mock draft simulator to ChatGPT in search of answers for what it'd take for any team to trade for Joe Burrow.
ChatGPT said something along the lines of a great young player, and at least two first-round picks. New York has five first-rounders to play with across the next two drafts.
Ready? Here's what a Burrow trade haul could look like for the Bengals:
Jets receive: QB Joe Burrow, 2026 2nd-round pick
Bengals receive: DE Will McDonald IV, RB Breece Hall, two 2026 1st-round picks, 2026 2nd-round pick (via Cowboys), 2027 1st-round pick (via Packers, from Cowboys), & 2027 2nd-round pick
That's a lot to take in. Starting with the Jets, this is a steep but fair toll to play. They still have Jermaine Johnson II as a viable edge defender. Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis have flashed well when healthy and given opportunities to make up for Hall's departure from the running back room.
Just imagine Joe Brrr in the media circus of New York City. Talk about creating some serious buzz.
Now to the Bengals' side. Will McDonald IV is a past first-rounder who recorded 10.5 sacks in 2024 and is the precise type of pure pass rusher Cincinnati has a dire need for. Breece Hall would require a contract extension, which Spotrac projects around $42 million over four years.
A Bengals backfield tandem of Hall and Chase Brown would be a fun 1-2 punch for whomever is under center next season in the event Burrow isn't. Is it crazy to think Flacco could get the job done one more time as a bridge QB?
The Bengals offense since Flacco arrived in week 6 pic.twitter.com/H4pyJHQRsa
โ Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) November 3, 2025
All the ammo Cincinnati could get in this trade could help procure either another veteran field general, or enough assets to land a new QB via the draft.
Utilizing the aforementioned PFF mock simulator, here are the big pieces the Bengals could get back for Burrow. As the order stands now, this trade would give Cincinnati the Nos. 3, 8, 32, and 46th overall picks, plus an extra first- and second-rounder in 2027.
Round 1, Pick 3: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
Round 1, Pick 8: Arvell Reese, LB/EDGE, Ohio State
Round 1, Pick 32: Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
Round 2, Pick 46: *Traded for Eagles QB Tanner McKee*
Ooh that's right! Plot twist! Philadelphia Eagles backup Tanner McKee rolls into Cincinnati as the new QB1! He who shredded the Bengals' D in the preseason and foreshadowed the regular season to come has no shortage of low-key stans around the NFL. McKee is never starting over Jalen Hurts, so you can bet Howie Roseman would take a second-round pick for him, or even that 32nd pick.
Tanner McKee is one of the worst kept secrets among those in the know with the Eagles
canโt stop talking about him every chance they get
not many others pay attention as heโs not a starter, but just ask any beat reporter or Eagles insider, they LOVE watching McKee https://t.co/sTG8XpIvWm
โ Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) August 8, 2025
And how about, you know, getting some Ohio State Buckeyes into the orange, black, and white stripes? Do Duke Tobin and the scouting department know that a goldmine of NFL talent resides just a couple hours up I-71 in Columbus? You wouldn't think so based on how/who they draft!
I know it's crazy. I don't want it to happen. I really don't want it to happen. Sorry to say, Who Dey Nation, it's at least in the realm of possibility, like it or not.
The Jets can offer the absolute world for Joe Burrow. Should the Bengals take it? I say no. What will they say?
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