Andrew Whitworth has heard the chatter. Some people think the Bengals should trade Joe Burrow and start over. The former Cincinnati tackle, who spent 11 seasons with the team before winning a Super Bowl with the Rams, isn’t having it.
“I mean, he’s an Ohio guy,” Whitworth told DJ Siddiqi of Casino CA. “I think sometimes that it sounds fun to (speculate). I don’t know if it’s real reality though. I think that Cincinnati loves him. I think that organization has built everything around him. I’d be shocked if he’s not the guy there, and he’s not their future. I just really would.”
The Bengals have spent the last few years doing everything they can to keep Burrow happy and healthy. That’s a big shift for a franchise that historically didn’t chase free agents or spend big. Whitworth lived through the old way. He knows what changed.
“They have jumped through hoops, when you talk about an organization that didn’t change for anyone at any point for any reason,” he said. “They have changed everything they do since Joe Burrow became their quarterback. From trades to draft to spending money to you name it, they have done it.”
Still, the results haven’t matched the investment lately. Cincinnati missed the playoffs in 2025 after Burrow went down with another injury. The team has been trying to patch holes this offseason, but the Super Bowl window that felt wide open a couple years ago looks like it’s closing.
That’s why trade speculation keeps popping up. Burrow is elite when healthy. He’s also expensive. And the roster around him has gotten thin in spots. Some analysts have floated the idea of resetting rather than running it back.
Whitworth gets that frustration from fans. But he also sees a two-way street.
“I think at this point, what I think is cool about it is, they’ve almost put the ball back in his court and said, ‘Alright, we’ve done everything we can do to try and be different. At some point now we’ve got to get something back from it.’”
That’s a fair read. The Bengals reworked the offensive line, signed receivers, spent on defense. They’ve done the organizational part. Now Burrow has to stay on the field and deliver.
Whitworth isn’t predicting a trade will happen. He’s saying it would be dumb to even seriously consider it. Cincinnati built this whole thing around one guy. Walking away now would mean admitting the rebuild failed before it really got a fair shot.
The Bengals open the 2026 season in early September. Burrow will be under center. Whitworth believes that’s where he’ll stay.
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