By OLIVER SALT, US ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Published: 11:22 EST, 27 February 2026 | Updated: 11:23 EST, 27 February 2026
Joe Burrow will angle to leave the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason due to his desire to win, a top NFL executive has predicted.
The Bengals failed to make the playoffs once again in 2025 after star quarterback Burrow, 29, missed most of the season with a turf-toe injury he suffered in Week 2.
It means the three-time Pro Bowler, who is widely considered one of the most talented quarterbacks in the league, has not appeared in the postseason since their 2022 AFC Championship game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
And while he is under contract until 2029, one anonymous NFL exec has revealed he expects Burrow to push for a way out of Cincinnati in the coming months.
'I could see him angling to get out of there. I kind of expect it,' the exec told SportsBoom. 'That’s a tough place to win, and he really wants to win.'
The Bengals are one of 12 teams to have never won a Super Bowl in their history, while they have only made it to the showpiece once in the last 37 years.
Joe Burrow will angle to leave the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason, an NFL exec has predicted
The Bengals failed to make the playoffs again after an injured Burrow missed most of the year
Burrow, taken by Cincinnati with the No. 1 pick in 2020, led them to Super Bowl LVI in his second year with the team, only to suffer defeat against the Los Angeles Rams.
Despite missing out on the playoffs for three straight years, head coach Zac Taylor has received a stay of execution from owner Mike Brown, meaning he will still lead the Bengals in 2026.
However, it remains to be seen whether his starting quarterback remains at Paycor Stadium, particularly with some other key offensive talents also facing uncertain futures.
'This is it,' one unnamed general manager said about the Bengals' situation.
'Dude, they aren’t going out and trading for Maxx Crosby or something like that. The defense sucks. This is the final year that [Ja'Marr] Chase and [Tee] Higgins are both there.
'It’s going to come to a head, trust me.'
Back in December, Burrow hinted that he does not intend to stay in Cincinnati for the entirety of his career.
When asked by reporters at a press conference if there's any world where he doesn't return next year, he replied: 'I can't see that, no.'
An unnamed league exec believes the quarterback will push to leave Cincinnati this offseason
A follow-up question then asked Burrow if he's thought about possibly not being Bengals quarterback for the rest of his career.
'You think about a lot of things,' he coolly answered.
Burrow also hinted at being unhappy with staff, saying people within the organization are holding him back from competing.
'It feels like everybody is trying to do everything in their power to make me not play football, and I feel like I'm fighting it, fighting everybody else,' the two-time Comeback Player of the Year claimed.
He added: 'I just wanna play ball, that's all I wanna do.'