Overview
- This week Burrow told reporters he feels about the 2026 squad “very similarly” to how he felt before the 2019 LSU season and said he wants “everybody talking about the Bengals.”
- Cincinnati backed that confidence with a major defensive reset this offseason that includes trading for Dexter Lawrence II and signing free agents Boye Mafe, Bryan Cook and Kyle Dugger.
- Former players and commentators pushed back on the comparison, with Emmanuel Acho arguing the 2019 LSU roster was far deeper than the current Bengals group.
- Burrow’s availability remains the biggest limiter on the team’s ceiling after he missed nine games in 2025 and at least seven games three times in six NFL seasons.
- Ownership recently gave coach Zac Taylor and personnel chief Duke Tobin another season to show measurable defensive improvement, so early results this year will shape job security and public judgment.