If the Cincinnati Bengals wanted to shop Joe Burrow, which teams should trade for the star quarterback?
Joe Burrow Makes Interesting Comments About Future
Joe Burrow speaks to the media ahead of Week 15 against the Baltimore Ravens.
Presented by @geteero https://t.co/j1tvopaC7m
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) December 10, 2025
Burrow has not requested a trade, nor has he spoken about retirement. However, the Bengals quarterback did make an interesting comment about playing football for “fun” that raised a lot of eyebrows.
Burrow has missed nine games this season due to a toe injury suffered in Week 2. This isn’t the first time Burrow has missed significant time due to an injury. Burrow tore ligaments in his knee in 2020 and injured his wrist in 2023. In three of his six NFL seasons, Burrow has played in 10 games or fewer.
Even with the Bengals out of playoff contention, Burrow fought to return to the field this season. Why? He wants to “have fun and play football.”
Burrow elaborated on what he meant by his answer.
“If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing it,” Burrow said to the media in a recent press conference. “I’ve been through a lot, and if it’s not fun, then what am I doing it for? So that’s the mindset I’m trying to bring to the table.”
Is Burrow not having fun playing football anymore, or is he not having fun playing for the Bengals? These are two separate issues, but one can’t help but think about how Burrow would fare in another situation. Would it lead to fewer injuries?
3 Teams That Should Go After Joe Burrow
“He smiles every day. The narrative that y’all are trying to pin on him right now, I don’t see it.”
“He loves work. He loves the guys in the locker room, so he’s pretty positive to me.”
– Ja’Marr Chase on Joe Burrow pic.twitter.com/4idD116lAg
— SleeperBengals (@SleeperBengals) December 11, 2025
Trading for Burrow would take a significant haul of draft picks and players. When healthy, Burrow is one of the five best quarterbacks in football. For a team desperate for a quarterback, why not call the Bengals and gauge their interest in a potential trade?
New York Jets
To pull off a trade for Burrow, Cincinnati needs draft picks, specifically, three to four first-round draft picks.
Thanks to the Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams trades, the New York Jets have two first-round picks in 2026 and three first-round picks in 2027.
If the Jets called the Bengals up and offered four first-round draft picks, would Cincinnati, which must rebuild its entire defense, say no? It’s an interesting proposition.
Minnesota Vikings
The J.J. McCarthy experiment has been failing. It’s wrong to write off McCarthy because it’s his first year of action.
However, the Vikings have a talented win-now roster that registered 14 victories.
Burrow in Minnesota instantly makes them a contender again. The Vikings have all of their picks in rounds 1–3 from 2026 to 2028, including two 2026 third-round picks.
The Vikings could offer McCarthy, a few defensive players, and multiple early-round draft picks for Burrow.
Las Vegas Raiders
Burrow for Maxx Crosby: Who hangs up first?
The Raiders have been in quarterback purgatory since Derek Carr left for the New Orleans Saints.
Trey Hendrickson is probably gone this offseason. Replacing Hendrickson would be Crosby, one of the best at his position. Crosby is also under contract for the next few seasons.
If the Raiders packaged Crosby and some picks for Burrow, that might be Cincinnati’s best deal, especially if they want an impact player in return.
