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Joe Burrow’s Birthday is a Harsh Reminder of the Bengals’ Ongoing Failures

Joe Burrow is 29 years old today. He's in his sixth NFL season.
James Rapien|
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) heads for the locker room after the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 14 game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. The Bills overcame a halftime deficit to win 39-34.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) heads for the locker room after the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 14 game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. The Bills overcame a halftime deficit to win 39-34. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Cincinnati Bengals

CINCINNATI — Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow turns 29 today.

Another year. Another birthday. Another reminder.

Time flies. Burrow is already in his sixth NFL season. The Bengals’ run to Super Bowl LVI was nearly four years ago.

Burrow’s birthday needs to serve as a reminder to the entire Bengals organization: the clock is ticking.

Cincinnati is one loss away from missing the playoffs for a third straight season. Even if they win their final four games, they only have a 27% chance of getting in.

The clock is ticking.

The Bengals need to fix their issues this offseason. Nearly everyone on defense needs to be better, outside of a few players. Their inability to win one-score games also falls on the coaching staff. Head coach Zac Taylor is 23–36–1 in one-score games, including 2–4 this season. That includes losses to the Jets, Bears, Patriots and Bills—all winnable games.

Burrow’s birthday should remind the front office that he won’t be around forever. The championship window feels closed right now, and that should never be the case with a roster featuring Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

They didn’t do enough in free agency last offseason. Outside of T.J. Slaton, their major defensive additions came through the draft. Rookies thrust into “win-now” situations should be complementary pieces — not relied upon as foundational ones.

Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter are in tough spots. The same goes for Shemar Stewart. There aren’t many teams with Super Bowl aspirations that would give three rookies such prominent roles.

Part of that is on Taylor and the coaching staff. Part of it is on the front office.

Right now, it doesn’t feel like the Bengals are close. The championship window feels closed.

The organization needs to do whatever it takes to make sure this is Burrow's last birthday where anyone can definitively say the window is shut.

It’s unacceptable — and it cannot continue.

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James Rapien
JAMES RAPIEN

James Rapien is the publisher of Bengals OnSI. He's also the host of the Locked on Bengals podcast and Cincinnati Bengals Talk on YouTube. The Cincinnati native also wrote a book about the history of the Cincinnati Bengals called Enter The Jungle. Prior to joining Bengals On SI, Rapien worked at 700 WLW and ESPN 1530 in Cincinnati

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