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Joe Burrow hasn't felt this good in quite a while – about both his own health and the state of the Cincinnati Bengals.
“I’m feeling great," Burrow told USA TODAY Sports in April. "It’s the best my body’s felt in a long time. It’s been a tough couple years for me injury-wise, and it was taking a while to get my body to the point where I want it to be. But now I’m in a great spot.”
It's leaps and bounds improved from Burrow telling reporters on Dec. 10, 2025, that he wanted to "have fun again" playing football. Burrow suffered a foot injury best described as "turf toe" during Week 2 last season and missed the next nine games as the Bengals fell out of the playoff hunt. He was coming off the best statistical season of his career in 2024, when he won Comeback Player of the Year because his 2023 campaign was cut short by a broken wrist.
More: How Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins are helping set tone for Bengals success
His most recent injury wasn't terribly difficult to deal with, Burrow said, but surgery was the best option and he wanted to have it done as quickly as possible. Not being able to run wasn't as much of an impediment as he thought.
“I don’t really have to as a quarterback," said Burrow, who spoke to USA TODAY Sports through his partnership with BodyArmor. "I have enough knowledge of the game now that I can find ways to play around that, and that’s why I was able to come back so quickly from it. But when it happened, it certainly didn’t feel great.”
Slow starts have plagued the Bengals multiple seasons in a row. After missing the playoffs in 2024, Burrow went on a media tour to put pressure on the Cincinnati front office to sign both wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to massive extensions, while also taking care of edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. Deals got done with both of the wideouts, but Hendrickson played last season on the franchise tag before signing with an AFC North rival in the Baltimore Ravens.
“Obviously with Trey going to Baltimore, that’s going to be an exciting matchup each time that we get to play them," Burrow said. "I love Trey. He’s a competitive, fiery, unique personality that I got to be on the same sideline as him and watch him terrorize people for several years. And I’m excited to have that challenge."
Hendrickson's move coincides with an era of transition in the division, with all three teams outside of Cincinnati changing head coaches in 2026. That means three new defenses to study, Burrow said.
"That’s always difficult early in the season to deal with ... , because you don’t know how those schemes are going to change and evolve with the personnel those teams have, so you’re kind of flying blind early in the year," he said.
The Bengals reached the Super Bowl in Burrow's second season (and first full one) and then came one win away from going back to the big game the next season. They haven't made the playoffs since.
"We have everything we need," Burrow told reporters in May.
Nobody is happy with how the last few seasons have gone in Cincinnati, including ownership and the front office, Burrow said.
“We have that in common," Burrow said, adding that the line of communication between himself and ownership and the front office is always open. "We just want to try to put a good product on the field, go win games, go win championships, and be competitive.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joe Burrow 'feeling great' as Bengals look to seize new-look AFC North
Continue reading...
“I’m feeling great," Burrow told USA TODAY Sports in April. "It’s the best my body’s felt in a long time. It’s been a tough couple years for me injury-wise, and it was taking a while to get my body to the point where I want it to be. But now I’m in a great spot.”
It's leaps and bounds improved from Burrow telling reporters on Dec. 10, 2025, that he wanted to "have fun again" playing football. Burrow suffered a foot injury best described as "turf toe" during Week 2 last season and missed the next nine games as the Bengals fell out of the playoff hunt. He was coming off the best statistical season of his career in 2024, when he won Comeback Player of the Year because his 2023 campaign was cut short by a broken wrist.
More: How Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins are helping set tone for Bengals success
His most recent injury wasn't terribly difficult to deal with, Burrow said, but surgery was the best option and he wanted to have it done as quickly as possible. Not being able to run wasn't as much of an impediment as he thought.
“I don’t really have to as a quarterback," said Burrow, who spoke to USA TODAY Sports through his partnership with BodyArmor. "I have enough knowledge of the game now that I can find ways to play around that, and that’s why I was able to come back so quickly from it. But when it happened, it certainly didn’t feel great.”
Slow starts have plagued the Bengals multiple seasons in a row. After missing the playoffs in 2024, Burrow went on a media tour to put pressure on the Cincinnati front office to sign both wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to massive extensions, while also taking care of edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. Deals got done with both of the wideouts, but Hendrickson played last season on the franchise tag before signing with an AFC North rival in the Baltimore Ravens.
“Obviously with Trey going to Baltimore, that’s going to be an exciting matchup each time that we get to play them," Burrow said. "I love Trey. He’s a competitive, fiery, unique personality that I got to be on the same sideline as him and watch him terrorize people for several years. And I’m excited to have that challenge."
Hendrickson's move coincides with an era of transition in the division, with all three teams outside of Cincinnati changing head coaches in 2026. That means three new defenses to study, Burrow said.
"That’s always difficult early in the season to deal with ... , because you don’t know how those schemes are going to change and evolve with the personnel those teams have, so you’re kind of flying blind early in the year," he said.
The Bengals reached the Super Bowl in Burrow's second season (and first full one) and then came one win away from going back to the big game the next season. They haven't made the playoffs since.
"We have everything we need," Burrow told reporters in May.
Nobody is happy with how the last few seasons have gone in Cincinnati, including ownership and the front office, Burrow said.
“We have that in common," Burrow said, adding that the line of communication between himself and ownership and the front office is always open. "We just want to try to put a good product on the field, go win games, go win championships, and be competitive.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joe Burrow 'feeling great' as Bengals look to seize new-look AFC North
Continue reading...
