What mattered from Joe Burrow, Zac Taylor comments: Hendrickson, schedule, Burton

New York Times

21-05-2025

CINCINNATI — For 43 minutes on Tuesday, Joe Burrow and Zac Taylor took to the podium in the makeshift press conference room inside Paycor Stadium. The content had a chance for explosiveness given the state of storylines surrounding the organization of late.
All things considered, it was generally tame on the normal headlines (Trey Hendrickson) and notable on a few lesser-discussed storylines (schedule).
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Either way, here's a look at the most notable things learned from Tuesday's proceedings.
Nobody quite knows what will happen next in the Hendrickson drama. We did learn Tuesday that Burrow didn't take quite the same aggressive approach with Hendrickson as we heard back in January when pushing for Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Mike Gesicki and Hendrickson to receive deals.
With the other boxes all checked, he offered support for Hendrickson, but unlike this winter, there weren't any shots directed at the organization in the process.
'We'll see what happens with that,' Burrow said. 'You guys all know how I feel about Trey. He's a great player. I love Trey as a guy. He goes out and plays well every single Sunday. Very productive. He's a guy that deserves to get paid and get paid what he wants and what the market is. We'll see what happens with that. But I love Trey and hope he's with us.'
This comes a week after Hendrickson dominated the scene by surprisingly showing up and standing in front of the media in street clothes for 25 minutes after practice.
Burrow joked about the 'exciting day,' but admitted he hasn't talked to Hendrickson as much lately as he did during the original push earlier this year. He then effectively toed a politically correct line on the most divisive issue surrounding the team.
'I think he's doing what he thinks is best for his career and I support him in that,' Burrow said. 'Trey's a smart guy. Just like anybody, I'm sure there's things he'd like to have back. He's very well thought out in his process and what he's trying to do. If he thinks that's the way to go, then that's the way to go.'
One way Hendrickson went involved airing frustration over a text received from Taylor last week, where he was informed the CBA specifies he would be fined for missing mandatory minicamp. The context of the text is undisclosed, but Hendrickson obviously took offense at the message. Taylor didn't offer much on the Hendrickson text, but did say they have spoken and pointed out he puts 'a lot of time and energy into thinking about how to communicate, when you communicate.'
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It's understandable why Burrow would be hesitant to go after the front office, considering Hendrickson's contract is the only item remaining from his checklist. That started with Chase and Higgins now in the fold with him for the prime of their careers.
The words used illustrated a sense of contentment from the quarterback toward the front office.
'It says they're invested in winning,' Burrow said. 'I think they want to reward guys that they draft that come in and play great. I think that's a recipe for success.'
He has come a long way from 'you don't want to make a habit of letting great players leave the building,' which he uttered in December.
When asked if he felt the comments he made often like that one helped get those deals done, Burrow backed off the role of negotiator he leaned into in advance of the two big contracts being finalized.
'I hope not,' he said. 'That's not really a position I want to be in.'
Taylor and Burrow had opinions they weren't shy about sharing regarding the schedule. Specifically, they weren't shy about addressing the fact that they felt slighted in yet again facing a host of prime-time games on the road.
One year after setting the NFL record for most prime-time road games, the Bengals only landed one prime-time home game against three on the road. That includes being sent to play in Baltimore in prime time for the fourth consecutive season and third straight on a Thursday night. Every Ravens game in Cincinnati has landed in the 1 p.m. ET Sunday time slot.
'Playing in Baltimore for the fourth straight prime-time year isn't ideal,' Burrow said. 'Maybe we can get one of those in Cincinnati next year. Please.'
The 'please' certainly landed as a form of an announcement. Burrow and the Bengals won't quietly take the short end of the scheduling stick, specifically against their biggest rival, and retreat to their corner.
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'You always appreciate the more home prime-time games you could get,' he said, 'which, for whatever reason, the last couple years, hasn't gone our way.'
Taylor mentioned the challenge presented in preparing for the week coming off the travel of the road prime-time game, which often leads to a middle-of-the-night arrival on a short week to game plan.
The Bengals are 6-1 at home in prime time under Taylor and 4-7 on the road. They've lost all three prime-time road games in Baltimore.
'There's nothing I can control about that right now,' Taylor said. 'Obviously, we'd love to host some divisional prime-time games at some point. You know, we get Pittsburgh this year. So, that's exciting, and over time, I'm sure that will flip back in our favor.'
Burrow spoke openly about his desire to help grow the game internationally, something he hasn't talked much about. He said he hoped for an international game next season after missing out this year. He also doubled down on his desire to play flag football in the Olympics on a day when the league voted to make NFL players eligible for the event in Los Angeles in 2028.
Burrow's health has been a recurring issue during the spring and summer months. There's still a long way to go, but given how he's feeling on May 20, the quarterback was excited.
'I feel great,' he said. 'This is the best that I've felt in the offseason. Just like every year, trying to get better, trying to get stronger, faster, healthier. Try to find ways that you can optimize your health throughout the whole season, not hurt as much. I'm in a good spot.'
That includes his wrist, which impacted his game early last season, in particular. Last year at this time, he was openly wondering about his 'football mortality' in these offseason sessions. Even having thrived through a full season with the injury, he wasn't pretending it still lingered in his mind.
'Just like with any ligament injury, it's going to take a while to come back,' he said. 'It's better this time of the year than it was last time at the same time.'
Joe and Zac speak to the media following practice https://t.co/lohnNFCzbK
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) May 20, 2025
There will be no joint practices this year, but Taylor again stated the plan is for starters to play more in the preseason.
Those plans could change depending on what transpires with the team in camp, but that's the most significant change aimed at improving the early-season record.
Second-year wide receiver Jermaine Burton, coming off a tumultuous rookie year that saw him suspended, evicted and left behind on a road trip after a series of transgressions, has slowly made an impression on Burrow and Taylor.
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Burrow pointed out the growth in 'maturity' he's seen in how Burton is handling his business in the spring.
It was notable Taylor didn't go all the way in on whether Burton is rebuilding his trust, but there's a clear sense of progress — for now.
'All he can handle is the present at this point,' Taylor said. 'I think he's done a good job of that this offseason. He's been in the building. He's in the building outside of work hours, doing his own thing, prehabbing to get his body right. He has attacked practice the right way, and that is what you can control right now, so I appreciate that much.'