Cincinnati Bengals fans had their hearts in their mouths when Joe Burrow addressed the media during the week. Stating that he has ‘to have fun’ in order to continue to playing football, the Bengals quarterback baffled his own teammates, including star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase who admitted his initial thoughts were that Burrow’s comments were the work of AI.Bengals QB Joe Burrow sounded alarms when he spoke candidly of his frustrationsGettyBut there’s also the fact that the 29-year-old’s thoughts came just days following their 39-34 defeat to the Buffalo Bills in Week 14.In that contest, Cincinnati looked to pull off a shock upset when they entered the fourth quarter with a 21-18 lead. Despite scoring 13 points in the final period of play, the Bills racked up 21 after Burrow fired two late interceptions with just minutes remaining on the clock.This was Burrow’s second outing since returning from an injury that he sustained in Week 2 of the 2025 regular season, with his first coming in an emotional Thanksgiving Day performance in which he led the Bengals to a dominant 32-14 win over the Baltimore Ravens. But the former LSU superstar’s comments led many to speculate that he was hinting at the possibility of an early retirement, much like that of former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, who retired after just six seasons and very much in his prime. However, The Athletic’s Diana Russini is more of the belief that the former No. 1 overall draft pick’s comments were more rooted in frustration of not being on the winning side, as opposed to the team having failed to provide him much protection from the offensive line since he entered the league back in 2020. “If you read Burrow’s recent comments, delivered on his 29th birthday, and thought maybe he was about to pull an Andrew Luck … think again,” Russini wrote on Saturday. “A person close to him laughed when I suggested he sounded down in the dumps. ‘He’s a serial killer,’ that person said. ‘Nothing matters to him but playing this game and winning a Super Bowl.’“’When was the last time Joe made two mistakes to lose a game for any team he’s been on?’ this person said. ‘He knows he has to be perfect for this team to win, and he wasn’t perfect.’“Someone else close to Burrow said, ‘Everyone is being a little dramatic. This isn’t mental health, this isn’t depression, this is I want to win.’When Joe Burrow has been on the field, he has mainly been magnificentGettyBurrow’s availability has been the problem in recent years, with him picking up a plethora of injuries over his NFL careerGetty“Teammates, coaches and people close to Burrow all say he just wants to play football, talk football and win football games. “He’s the same guy who won’t even let his parents stay at his house during the season because he wants zero distractions (they don’t mind).”Of course, Burrow has dealt with his fair share of injuries since making the jump into the pros, having already won the Comeback Player of the Year on two occasions in 2021 and 2024.But when he has been healthy, such as that in the 2021 campaign, he has been virtually unstoppable, leading the Bengals to just their third ever Super Bowl appearance, and their first since 1989. Could Burrow request a trade?The Bengals offensive line has been a particular problem over the years, but these issues have not been as prevalent in the 2025 campaign, with Burrow, backups Jake Browning and a veteran Joe Flacco having been sacked a combined 25 times on the season, with Burrow being on the end of seven of those in four appearances under center.Despite his mid-week comments, Russini further expressed that Burrow hadn’t asked for a trade, or even made it known that he wants out of his hometown team. The Vikings could yet look to be aggressive in the off-season and target Burrow to keep Jefferson happyGetty“Burrow, I’m told, hasn’t asked for a trade or even hinted at stepping away,” Russini continued on. “Of course, he would be a dream come true for any coach trying to win. He’s the quarterback who makes people in buildings whisper, ‘If I had Joe Burrow …’ or ‘Imagine life with Joe Burrow … .’ “So if you hear noise about him wanting out of Cincinnati, remember: Everyone wants a Joe Burrow. The chatter about him leaving is mostly fueled by those dreaming of a blockbuster trade.“Does that mean he’s thrilled with everything inside the Bengals’ building? No. People close to him have made it clear that certain parts of the Bengals’ operation, with the smallest coaching and scouting staffs in the league, have previously frustrated him.”However, that hasn’t stopped the speculation of him potentially asking out at the end of the season, with rumors linking Burrow to the Minnesota Vikings to team up with former LSU teammate and superstar receiver Justin Jefferson. With the J.J. McCarthy experiment having not entirely worked out in his first season as the Vikings’ signal caller, Minnesota could look to be aggressive as they seek to keep Jefferson happy, and there is a viable way around clearing cap space to take on the quarterback’s hefty $275 million contract. But the Bengals will be unlikely to be willing to part ways with their franchise star, despite how miserable he may currently be. Stay up to date with the latest from the NFL across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for all the news, exclusives, interviews and more.