AFC Team Reportedly Offered Draft Pick Haul For Joe Burrow

CINCINNATI — The Bengals and Dolphins have a tied history when it comes to Joe Burrow in a new reported way. ESPN's Adam Schefter revealed on Saturday that Miami offered Cincinnati four first-round picks for Burrow before Cincinnati took him first overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Bengals famously played a tight game that season prior, resulting in a loss for Cincinnati that propelled them to select first overall and take Burrow.

"In their dreams, it would have been Burrow -- had they been able to pull off the trade for him back in 2020," Adam Schefter wrote. "The Dolphins were well-positioned to make a run at Burrow going into the 2020 draft, when they had three first-round picks: their own, Pittsburgh's via the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade, and Houston's via the Laremy Tunsil trade.

"Miami also had two 2021 first-round picks: its own and Houston's via the Tunsil trade. But no matter how often the Dolphins called the Bengals, and what they were willing to offer -- which included four first-round picks, Cincinnati had no interest in engaging and was locked in on drafting Burrow."

Schefter also wrote that Cincinnati didn't engage in the trade offers with all of their focus on taking Burrow and building around him.

Things worked while he was on a rookie contract, but questions about his future in Cincinnati have gotten louder in recent weeks, once the playoffs went out the window for the third season in a row.

Miami is now left facing Burrow this weekend without their top-five pick on the field from that draft after benching Tua Tagovailoa. Burrow has held up his end of the bargain far better than Miami's new emergency QB.

"The organization did right by Burrow last offseason, re-signing both Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. But the three did not get to see how well they could perform together this season due to injury," Schefter continued. "The hope is next season they will, but next season also now logically looms large because if the Bengals can't turn it around, the questions that Burrow faced these past two weeks, and the issues that have arisen, only will be accentuated -- meaning there is a lot on the line in 2026 for the Bengals, Burrow and their future together."

The two franchises battle tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET.

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