Baltimore Ravens fans hate seeing any of their division rivals succeed in any way shape or form. The 2021 and 2022 seasons were rough because the Cincinnati Bengals looked to be turning a rare corner and that was all thanks to the production Joe Burrow was giving them.
The Bengals certainly lucked into drafting Burrow, landing the top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and therefore, the rights to select the LSU star quarterback that was coming off a Heisman Trophy-winning and National Championship season with the Tigers. Ravens fans hoped that the Bengals would pull a traditional Bengals and screw everything up, and, from the sounds of it, they might be doing just that.
Burrow turned 29 years old on Wednesday and the press conference he had ahead of his Week 15 matchup against the Ravens was honestly pretty depressing, at least it likely was for Bengals fans. Burrow spoke about how he's been through a lot of devastating injuries and he's trying his best to have fun in spite of all that.
"If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing this. I have been through a lot. If it's not fun, then what am I doing it for? That is the mind set I am trying to bring to the table."
Joe Burrow’s gloomy mindset fuels speculation that delights Ravens fans
Those comments don't sound like Burrow is thrilled with where he's at right now, and even from a Ravens fans' perspective, it's not hard to see why. Since the Bengals lost to the Chiefs in the AFC title game in the 2022 season, the Bengals have missed the playoffs in two straight seasons and are on the verge of doing so again this year, making it three years in a row without a postseason berth.
Considering how talented Burrow is and the performances he can put on while on the biggest stages, his prime is being wasted in Cincinnati and it feels like he's starting to voice those concerns out loud. Of course, this wont impact much for this weekend's matchup, one that Baltimore needs to win if it wants to stay in the AFC North race with the Steelers, but it's definitely something to monitor in the future.
It doesn't feel like the Bengals would actually trade Burrow but perhaps the former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback is seeing the writing on the wall and realizing he can't win in Cincinnati. If so, perhaps a trade could be in the cards, removing him from the AFC North. That'd be a massive win for the Baltimore Ravens.