‘It was something a little bit different' – Joe Burrow's evolved leadership has already showed itself at Bengals practice

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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) jogs during spring practice on at the Kettering Practice Fields on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. © Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow wants to be a bit more mean as a leader. According to Dan Hoard, the voice of the Bengals, there is already evidence of that shift taking shape.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow wants to be, in his words, “more vocal in a mean way” as the leader of the roster. That was the message he delivered at the end of the offseason workout program, and according to Dan Hoard, the voice of the Bengals, there is already evidence of that shift taking shape.

Hoard, a regular at Bengals practice, noted an anecdote on the Locked On Bengals Podcast regarding Burrow's evolution.

“I do think that he is trying to be a little bit more stern or mean in the way that he leads, and I saw a little evidence of that during the OTAs and minicamp,” Hoard said. “I can specifically recall one play where either a guy had a false start, or something went wrong that blew up the play. And Joe normally would not be happy about that, obviously. But in this case, he fired the football into the ground pissed off, visibly pissed off, that they were not able to execute the snap of that particular play.

"That’s one snap in OTAs. Maybe it’s not a great example, but it was something a little bit different from what I’ve seen out of Joe Burrow the last six years."

Why Joe Burrow believes change is necessary​

Burrow has not hidden his frustration with how the last few seasons have gone. Cincinnati has missed the playoffs in each of the last three seasons. Burrow has also been sidelined for about half of that time.

He knows change is necessary and has publicly called for it. Hoard also believes part of that change involves himself.

“I think he’s looked at the last three years and he said publicly, we've got to change things because what we’ve been doing isn’t working,” Hoard said. “So not only was that a message to the entire organization that we’ve got to make some personnel changes, I think he’s the type of guy that self-evaluates and tries to figure out ‘What do I need to do differently or better.’ And I think he’s decided that what he needs to do differently is be, in his words, meaner as a leader. Maybe hold guys a little bit more accountable than he has.”

Stronger accountability can lead to stronger results. Cincinnati managed to avoid its usual sluggish start last year, but chaos ensued following Burrow's turf toe injury. Racking up wins early and building a cushion before the final stretch of the schedule is the difference between securing a playoff spot, and clawing for survival.

Burrow’s more direct, more commanding approach can continue pushing the team in that direction.

Eyes will be peeled during training camp​

Burrow has made it known how he intends to evolve. He's belabored the point of urgency this year, and it will be visible in his fresh style of command.

It may not always manifest as visibly as spiking a football into the turf after a blown snap, but those moments add up. They set expectations for the players around him to stay sharp during the dog days of summer, and the inevitable lulls of the fall.

Training camp will be the next real test. When Hoard and other media members are present for those practices, there will be more opportunities to see whether Burrow’s evolved leadership continues to show itself and whether even more anecdotes back up the words he delivered before the Bengals took the summer off.

This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: ‘It was something a little bit different' – Joe Burrow's evolved leadership has already showed itself at Bengals practice

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