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ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky Names Three NFL Teams That Should Trade for Joe Burrow

Kristen Wong

Dan Orlovsky thinks the Jets, Steelers and Raiders should be thinking about how they can trade for Joe Burrow.
Dan Orlovsky thinks the Jets, Steelers and Raiders should be thinking about how they can trade for Joe Burrow. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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After Joe Burrow's reflective comments in his press conference went viral this week, many in the NFL world are already brewing potential trade destinations for the Bengals' franchise quarterback.

Burrow didn't specifically talk about his future with the organization, but he did make some head-turning remarks on how he feels about playing football in light of his latest injury. “If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing it. I have been through a lot. If it’s not fun, then what am I doing it for?” Burrow said in Wednesday's presser. He added that he had “a lot of things going on” that were both football-related and personal.

There's little reason at the moment to believe Burrow, who's playing in his sixth season in Cincinnati, wants out. ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky nonetheless played the “What If?” game and floated three potential landing spots for the two-time Pro Bowler in the future: the Jets, Raiders and Steelers.

“Obviously there's a lot of similarities here to Andrew Luck,” Orlovsky said. “It would shock me if three teams weren't on the phone today, after what [Burrow] said yesterday, figuring out how do we make him part of our football team. Now, three months from now, six months from now, a year from now. He obviously is in a bad place with that organization.

“If I were those three organizations [Jets, Raiders, Steelers], I'm in a brainstorm meeting now, we are figuring out a way to propose a way to get Joe Burrow. And I don't necessarily care what it takes.”

What do all three of those teams have in common? A desperate need for a franchise quarterback.

The 3-10 Jets and 2-11 Raiders might be the most needy given their disappointing 2025 campaigns thus far. Justin Fields played his way out of his starting role earlier this season, and after the Jets' fire sale in November, the organization is armed with enough picks to potentially acquire a quarterback talent of their choosing next year. Meanwhile, the Geno Smith era in Las Vegas appears to be a one-and-done situation with Smith throwing a league-high 14 interceptions in his debut season alongside Pete Carroll.

The Steelers present a more intriguing scenario, as veteran Aaron Rodgers has managed to lead Pittsburgh to a 7-6 record, good for first in the AFC North with four games remaining. Behind the aging Rodgers, though, the Steelers have only unproven options in Mason Rudolph and Will Howard, and the team could very well be seeking a more permanent quarterback upgrade this upcoming offseason.

Again, there's no clear evidence that Burrow wants to leave Cincinnati, especially considering his close relationship with Ja'Marr Chase. But if he's even slightly unhappy or wants a fresh start following his injury-riddled and unfruitful years with the Bengals, expect all quarterback-needy teams in the league to come knocking on his door.

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Kristen Wong
KRISTEN WONG

Kristen Wong is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. She has been a sports journalist since 2020. Before joining SI in November 2023, Wong covered four NFL teams as an associate editor with the FanSided NFL Network and worked as a staff writer for the brand’s flagship site. Outside of work, she has dreams of running her own sporty dive bar.

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