There’s no dodging the expectations in 2025. Cincinnati can’t fumble another season of Burrow’s prime. It’s playoffs (and more) or bust for the Bengals, who are once again poised to boast an elite offense while hanging on for dear life with just enough defense.

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor has made it clear there is an emphasis on changing how the team does things this offseason in order to avoid one of those now-infamous slow starts. Taylor got the ball rolling on this by changing up how intense the practices are,

“One of the biggest stories of the 2025 regular season was the Bengals finding ways to lose games despite continuous heroic efforts from quarterback Joe Burrow,” Dalton Wasserman wrote. “Burrow ranked second in the NFL in PFF passing grade, but the team’s lack of balance around him on both sides of the ball prevented them from making the playoffs.

Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor said he saw improvement in all phases of the game this offseason and called the team’s workout program “really productive.”

At 28 years old, Burrow has put up impressive numbers throughout his five-year NFL career. He has thrown for 19,001 yards, 140 touchdowns, and 46 interceptions, while completing 68.6 percent of his passes in 69 games. Those numbers have come despite two seasons with major injury issues.

The Cincinnati Bengals remain in a contract impasse with their top defender, Trey Hendrickson. NFL sources open up on his market value

A wide range of outcomes for the 2025 Cincinnati Bengals. CBS Sports writer Cody Benjamin thinks the team could win the Super Bowl as the best-case scenario, or play behind the Baltimore Ravens as the worst-case scenario.

AFC Contenders Can't Sleep on Bengals originally appeared on Athlon Sports. It’s been a frustrating offseason for Cincinnati Bengals fans wishing that their front office could put one foot in front of the other until they found themselves at a contract extension for edge rusher Trey Hendrickson (or common sense for rookie Shemar Stewart).