Just how much weight Joe Burrow has been throwing around behind the scenes with the Cincinnati Bengals has been a constant topic of discussion amongst fans.
The answer…is complicated. The Bengals have consistently left their comfort zone and modernized during the Burrow era across the board, whether it’s free agency, contract details, or even outside things like renaming stadiums while generating new revenue streams, overhauling facilities, and building practice bubbles.
Still, areas that continue to lag behind have ramped up to red-button issues. The Trey Hendrickson contract saga and the state of the defense stand out the most.
Burrow’s very public unhappiness late last year was a message to the Bengals, intended or not.
Now, there are a few rumblings that Burrow’s impact has been felt behind the scenes in Cincinnati more than usual. Beat reporter Paul Dehner Jr. explained on “The Growler” this week:
“He’s changed the way they’ve made decisions around here in recent years. And his lack of happiness, whether he says it’s cause he had a bad day at a press conference or not, has major influence inside of the building. He called this free agency ‘paramount.’ … “He’s certainly done more than just lay the groundwork on, ‘If I’m not happy here, I don’t plan on staying here.’”
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Dehner capped it off with this: “He just wants a good defense. He doesn’t care. He doesn’t want to feel like he has to be perfect and score 42 or more every single week…I think he’s in a good enough place. He just wants to win.”
Thing is, fans see it, too. Burrow wants to win and if the Bengals don’t knock this offseason out of the park and help him compete for titles, things could get dicey in Cincinnati fast.
Hence, the sense of urgency around this offseason after the downright inexcusable state of the defense last year.
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This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: It sounds like Joe Burrow is putting major pressure on Bengals brass
