CINCINNATI -- Joe Burrow had a lot to say this offseason.
Between all of the flag football and horse racing and fashion shows that have hosted his downtime since the end of last season, the Cincinnati Bengals franchise quarterback also had two news conferences during workouts.
It's no secret this season is arguably the most important since the Bengals drafted Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick in 2020. Cincinnati was uncharacteristically aggressive after a disappointing 6-11 campaign in 2025. The Bengals beefed up the defense with a few new starters, including Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II.
Here are three important Burrow quotes to know as the Bengals get ready for the upcoming season.
Burrow quote: "It's been fun to watch the communication of the defense in these walkthroughs that we've had. Who's going to be vocal? Who's going to step up into that leadership role? That's a lot of question marks, but we're gonna set out to (find the) answer."
Why it matters: Sometimes too much gets made about vocal leadership. But that was a major problem last year in Cincinnati as the defense was retooled on-the-fly. Two of the Bengals defensive captains in 2025, Trey Hendrickson and Logan Wilson, didn't finish the season and are no longer on the roster (Hendrickson, not retained in free agency; Wilson, traded and now retired).
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To help address that issue, the Bengals added players who have been important contributors from winning teams: edge rusher Boye Mafe (Seattle Seahawks), safety Bryan Cook (Kansas City Chiefs) and safety Kyle Dugger (New England Patriots). Between the veterans and the emergence of the young players, including linebackers Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr., Cincinnati is hoping that leadership makes a difference this season.
Burrow quote: "Trying to find ways to be explosive in the run game and then try to find some things off of that that can get us a couple of easy explosives -- we're committed to that. Our coaching staff has done a great job this offseason of putting a plan together to try to execute that."
Why it matters: This quote was part of a series of questions and answers about the merits of being under center versus the shotgun formation. And it's a good point considering how heavily the Bengals have used shotgun. Since 2024, the Bengals have been in shotgun 82.2% of the time, the second-highest in the NFL during that span, according to ESPN Research.