Ex-NFL QB on Joe Burrow's Bengals future: 'I think he wants to leave' - USA Today

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is committed to Cincinnati – at least, just for now, according to Russell Wilson.

The recently retired NFL quarterback and newest member to the "NFL on CBS" desk had a bold prediction about the Bengals quarterback's future in Cincinnati in the hours leading up to Week 1 kickoff. That prediction? This may be the last season for Burrow in a orange-and-black stripes if Cincinnati doesn't win.

"If it doesn't go well in Cincinnati this year, Joe Burrow is gone," Wilson said. "I think he wants to leave. "

Wilson preceded his declaration of Burrow's impending exit by adding he has "loved" the mindset and attitude of Burrow this offseason, but the organization's recent losing ways have taken a toll on the passer.

"I think he's tired of losing, he's said that a few times," Wilson said. "He's really focused on, this is that special year."

Burrow and the Bengals are coming off a 6-11 season in which the passer was sidelined for three months with a turf toe injury.

This offseason, Burrow has been confident in the team's roster, likening them to his 2019 LSU team that won a national championship. He has also declared 2026 a "now or never" season for the Bengals.

He walked back some of those comments recently, adding that he sees himself as the future in Cincinnati, quelling fears that the result of not achieving their ultimate goal this year will be a split with the franchise that drafted him.

“I’m here for the long haul," Burrow said in an exclusive interview with the Bengals official site's Geoff Hobson. "I’m not going anywhere. I’m just trying to bring a now-or-never mentality to the day-by-day process. If you’re not, what are you doing?"

The Bengals open up their 2026 schedule on Sunday, Sept. 13, vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home. They are hoping it isn't the final Week 1 they have with Burrow as their starting quarterback.