'I Love it, I Thrive in it' - Joe Burrow Embracing Championship 'Pressure' on Bengals Ahead of 2026 Season

Joe Burrow wants the pressure this season.

The Bengals star passer declared to the media on Wednesday that he has the same feelings about this Bengals team as he famously did in 2019 when his LSU Tigers were flying under the radar before ripping off a 15-0 National Championship run.

The 29-year-old loves having this pressure underneath a massive Bengals season ahead.

"A lot of urgency this year," Burrow said. "Certainly, we have everything we need. We're deep at just about every single position on the team. We've talked in the locker room this year, you wonder who's going to make the team, you wonder about the bottom guys.

"There's a lot of competition at those spots on the roster at the end of that list. So this is the first year that is really the case, in my opinion. Exciting place to be when you have too many good players, so it's our job to try to find a way to make this a cohesive unit, and like I said before, build that trust and build those relationships, so we can go out and execute."

Throwing Things Back To 2019?

Jan 29, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) watches the video board as he walks for the locker room after the fourth quarter of the AFC championship NFL game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. The Kansas City Chiefs advanced to the Super Bowl with a 23-20 win over the Bengals. Mandatory Credit: Sam Greene-Imagn Images | Sam Greene-Imagn Images

The NFL's all-time leading completion percentage passer is hungry for more pressure this coming season.

"I think that's great," Burrow said about the building pressure. "Put pressure on guys. I love it. I thrive in it. We'll find out who else does. I know that we have the kind of people who want to be in that spot. I want everybody talking about the Bengals.

"I want everybody talking about what I'm saying in my press conferences. You go back and watch what I said before the 2019 season at LSU. I feel very similarly about this team. I'm so excited to get started and get moving, and I wish we would ramp this right into training camp, so we can continue to improve, because I feel like there's so much greatness that we're going to be able to achieve this year. I'm just excited to get going."

Burrow has more than proven himself in the league after over half a decade on NFL fields. He's never been surrounded by more proven talents like him in his career.

It's a big reason he's throwing it back to 2019 with his championship expectations this go around.

"I certainly feel that way about this team," Burrow expanded on the 2019 comparison. "We have guys that have been there and done that, and also guys that have had a lot of individual success, and not necessarily the team success that are looking for it, guys like Dexter (Lawrence) and guys like Jonathan (Allen), bringing the guys like that in is so advantageous to a lot of different people, young players trying to improve makes it easier for coaches. And we have so many guys with so much talent. I'm just excited to put it all together."

A month break is on the docket before Burrow's crew gets to keep this momentum rolling into training camp.

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