The Cincinnati Bengals concluded the 2025 season with a 6-11 record, missing the playoffs for the third straight year and closing a campaign defined by defensive shortcomings and roster inconsistency. While the offense remained functional through much of the year, even during extended stretches without their starting quarterback, Cincinnati’s inability to get stops consistently kept the team from sustaining success in close games.

Quarterback Joe Burrow appeared in eight games this season after missing nine games due to injury, limiting both his availability and statistical output. Following the season-ending loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 18, Burrow addressed the media and outlined how he plans to spend the early portion of the offseason while acknowledging the importance of the months ahead for the organization.

“Relax, be around friends and family. Stay up late. Stay in bed late,” Burrow said when asked about his offseason plans. He added, “I got no obligations for a while, so I’ll just go to sleep when I get tired, I guess. Who knows.”

Burrow also made it clear that the upcoming offseason carries importance beyond rest. He noted that there are a lot of things to address as the Bengals evaluate what went wrong and how to move forward after another non-playoff year.

From an individual standpoint, Burrow finished the 2025 season with 1,809 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and five interceptions in his eight appearances. Those totals represented a sharp decline from his 2024 campaign, when he threw for 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns over a full season. He led both league and franchise marks and set multiple Bengals single-season records, and was a top candidate for MVP that year.

Despite Burrow’s absence, Cincinnati’s offense remained competitive for stretches under Joe Flacco, scoring 30 or more points in three of his six starts. However, the defense repeatedly failed to protect leads and struggled to close out opponents, placing additional strain on the offense.

As the Bengals turn the page to the offseason, the focus will shift toward addressing defensive depth, pass coverage, and overall roster balance. Cincinnati holds a top ten draft position and will need to make multiple roster decisions as the franchise faces pressure to correct issues that have contributed to consecutive losing seasons.

With a talented core that includes Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and other key contributors, how Cincinnati supplements that roster in 2026 will be central to ending a three-year playoff drought.