Joe Burrow's cryptic Instagram post ignites fan debate about his Bengals future after a challenging season.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow closed out the 2025 season with a reflective Instagram post that has drawn intense fan speculation about his future with the team. Burrow posted a carousel of photos that included moments from the season, captioned simply: “2025… was adversity.”
The post used “Good Life” by Kanye West, featuring lyrics that reference major U.S. cities — “It feel like Atlanta. It feel like L.A., it feel like Miami. It feel like N.Y.” — a choice that quickly ignited discussion on social media about whether he was hinting at potential destinations outside Cincinnati.
Burrow’s 2025 season was marked by a Grade 3 turf toe injury that sidelined him for nine games and contributed to the Bengals finishing 6-11 and missing the playoffs. In his own season‑ending press conferences, he expressed the mental and physical toll the year took on him and acknowledged that he was not fully satisfied with the team’s results.
Burrow Has Clarified His Comments and Expressed Belief in Bengals Organization
Despite the speculation, Burrow’s own public comments counter the trade rumors. After a disappointing loss to the Bufallo Bills in Week 14, he spoke candidly about the challenges he was facing, including a period when he said he wasn’t finding as much joy in the game.
“If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing it. I have been through a lot. If it's not fun, then what am I doing it for?”
He later clarified that these remarks were about his personal mindset and the mental strain of injury and team performance, not dissatisfaction with Cincinnati as his home or employer.
Joe Burrow Has Not Requested a Trade
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported in December that Burrow does not want out of Cincinnati. She also noted that while certain operations within the Bengals organization, such as the size of the scouting and coaching staffs, have frustrated him, there is no indication he is seeking to play elsewhere.
“The answer is no. Burrow, I’m told, hasn’t asked for a trade or even hinted at stepping away.”
After Sunday’s loss to the Cleveland Browns, Burrow called for changes within the Bengals, urging the team to “attack free agency with intent to get better,” but he specifically clarified that he did not want coach Zac Taylor or Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin fired. That stance was earlier cited by Russini as one factor in the Bengals’ decision to retain their head coach and personnel chief despite another losing season.
As far as contractual obligations go, Burrow signed a five‑year, $275 million extension in 2023 that runs through the 2029 season with a no-trade clause. His current deal makes him one of the highest‑paid players in the league and removes immediate contractual uncertainty.