For those who have followed Joe Burrow since his LSU days, his career was never supposed to look like this. Six seasons in, the Bengals quarterback has already endured more physical and emotional toll than many players face in a full decade. From a torn ACL as a rookie and a wrist ligament injury in 2023 to turf toe surgery this year that sidelined him for nearly three months, Burrow has had three separate seasons of his career cut short.
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And each time Burrow has returned, he has done so behind an offensive line that continues to fail him. He has been sacked 203 times in 73 games with a career sack rate of 7.08 percent. And as it’s turned out, that accumulated damage is starting to show in the QB’s voice.
Recently, after the Bengals’ loss to the Bills, Burrow sounded uncharacteristically deflated while speaking about his future, admitting that football has to be “fun” for him to keep going. “If it’s not fun, then what am I doing it for?” he said in the post-game interview, which quickly went viral.
That moment is what prompted Stephen A. Smith to unload on the Bengals during a segment on ESPN’s First Take, arguably delivering one of his most pointed monologues of the season.
“They need a new coach. I said it yesterday. I’m going to say it again today,” Smith began. “He ain’t playing for the right man.”
But Smith didn’t stop at his critiques of HC Zac Taylor. He zoomed out to the damage Burrow has absorbed since entering the league: “The man has been sacked 203 times. Those are sacks. I didn’t bring up the amount of times he’s been hit. Think about that for a second.”
To drive the point home, the veteran analyst then compared Burrow to an NFL legend who found himself in a similar spot a few years ago. “Andrew Luck retired being sacked 29 less times in 13 more games than Joe Burrow,” the analyst said, reminding viewers how a generational quarterback walked away at 29 because the punishment stripped the joy from the game.
That said, for Smith, this isn’t just about one injury or one season gone wrong. It’s also an indictment of how the Bengals are run under owner Mike Brown. “What this team has been in terms of its failure to protect him, insulate him… you really, really have your answer,” Smith said, calling out the organization’s inability to modernize around its most valuable asset.
“[The Bengals] need a new coach. … [Joe Burrow] ain’t playing for the right man.” @stephenasmith gives his insight on Burrow’s situation in Cincinnati ✍️ pic.twitter.com/INn0fXqNpi
— First Take (@FirstTake) December 12, 2025
Intriguingly enough, Stephen A. also called out Burrow’s mistakes.
He pointed to Burrow’s own comments during Super Bowl week last year, when the quarterback publicly urged the franchise to re-sign Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Trey Hendrickson, which the Bengals ultimately did. “You mentioned nothing about that offensive line. You mentioned nothing about prioritizing protecting yourself,” the ESPN stalwart reminded viewers.
Even so, Smith admitted he has a lot of sympathy for the quarterback: “I feel bad for Joe Burrow. This is the third season in his six years he’s been out for a chunk of games due to injury and lack of protection.”
As things stand, until Cincinnati changes how it protects its quarterback, Burrow’s talent will continue to be overshadowed by multiple losing seasons and record-breaking sack numbers. And if history is any guide, that road doesn’t end kindly.
