Joe Burrow Explains Why He Got Frustrated With Zac Taylor on Bengals' Sideline

Burrow appeared to take issue with something Taylor said to him on the sidelines during the Bengals' 37-27 win over the Titans.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and coach Zac Taylor speak on the sidelines during the team's 37-27 win over the Tennessee Titans on December 15, 2024 at Nissan Stadium. | Screengrab Twitter @JoeyDeBerardino

In a video that has since gone viral on social media, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and coach Zac Taylor were seen having a conversation on the sidelines during the team's 37-27 win over the Tennessee Titans, a discussion that seemed to be frustrating an increasingly animated Burrow.

As lip-reader Jomboy detailed in a video, Burrow appears to say, "That was f------ embarassing," then moments later, "F--- that. F--- that. We sucked today. That was embarassing."

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Burrow, who fired two interceptions and lost a fumble, explained that his frustrations began with his own play, then compounded when the team's play was not up to the standard he felt it should be. When Taylor approached for a conversation with the game seemingly in hand, an already-annoyed Burrow wasn't having the message his coach attempted to preach.

"He was just trying to tell me to be happy with the win,” Burrow said. "And I appreciate that about him because I can get lost—just like everybody can—you get lost in the adversity of the season and you can’t take winning for granted. I’ve tried to get better at that, and Zac tries to help me get better at that."

"And I appreciate that about him."

Burrow added that it's sometimes "tough" for him to balance being a perfectionist on the field vs. knowing when to appreciate a hard-fought victory.

"It’s tough for me sometimes. I want to be great. I want us to be great," Burrow said. "On offense I want us to be perfect, and if we’re not, that gets frustrating for me. I do need to be better at, just if we win, be happy about it. It’s hard to win in this league."

"And I can do a better job of maybe showing that side of me on a Monday and enjoying the win right after rather than letting that boil over on the sideline."

As for Taylor, he acknowledged that things won't always seem rosy between he and Burrow, but noted how much he appreciates his quarterback's "competitive edge."

"But, when you’ve got a great player who winning and doing it the right way is the most important thing to him, that’s the best thing you can have from a leader on your football team, that doesn’t accept anything that’s below standard at any moment from anybody," Taylor said.

"There’s teams around the league begging for someone to have that standard, and we’ve got it, so you’ve got to embrace that and keep letting him lead the way for us."

---