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Joe Burrow is watching NFL teams bolster their wide receiver room. But not his Cincinnati Bengals.
Diontae Johnson has gone from the Carolina Panthers to returning to the AFC North, landing with the Baltimore Ravens. Amari Cooper is now catching passes with the Buffalo Bills. Even the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs traded for former All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
Does Burrow wish his team were more assertive ahead of the league's trade deadline? He shared a succinct but impactful three-word response Wednesday with reporters.
“Not my job,” Burrow said via league insider Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team.
The Bengals still have until Election Day on Nov. 5 to pull off any type of trade. That's also the date of the NFL's trade deadline.
Is Joe Burrow in a ‘must-win' situation with the Bengals on Sunday?
Many fans and analysts believe the Bengals' Super Bowl window is closing.
Cincinnati already lost longtime starting running back Joe Mixon to an offseason trade. Tee Higgins demanded an offseason trade. All-Pro wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase happens to be up for a new deal, too. He only picked up a fifth-year option on Sept. 26 that still makes him a free agent in 2026 unless Cincy works on a new deal.
Cincinnati's 2024 season is imploding as well, as the Bengals are 3-5 overall. The Philadelphia Eagles blasted Cincinnati 37-17 this past Sunday, which dropped the Bengals' home record to a dismal 0-4.
Burrow and the Bengals now face another struggling team, the Las Vegas Raiders. The Silver and Black are entering Paycor Stadium losers of four straight. Yet, Burrow didn't mince words about the magnitude of Sunday's non-divisional matchup.
“This is a must-win game,” Burrow declared with reporters. “We're 3-5. You go to 3-6, you have to win out.”
Burrow sounds like he's throwing the Raiders' record out the window in preparation for Sunday.
“We're gonna prep like that every week, no matter what, but it changes how you feel throughout the week,” Burrow explained. “Your energy levels are raised a little bit. You're more dialed in on the game plan, trying to find any way that you can get an edge for Sunday, with the scheme, with players, with your technique, with your eyes, what you can see on tape. It's just a mindset.”
Cincy hasn't officially been eliminated from the playoff race. The Bengals remain mathematically alive. Cincinnati, however, has to operate with a strong sense of urgency moving forward. It starts with reigniting the offense.
The unit ranks 18th in total yards — the lowest ranking with Burrow behind center. The running game is getting grounded by opposing run defenses as well, with Cincinnati ranking 28th in rushing yards. This offense hasn't scaled past the 21-point mark in the last three games, either.
Burrow's team is heading to Sunday as the seven-point favorite. But a loss could set off a loud alarm about the state of the 2024 Bengals. The franchise QB denies he's obligated to orchestrate trades since his real job is to throw and win. Sunday, though, is officially a high-pressured scenario for a Bengals team fading fast.
