CINCINNATI — It seems what Joe Burrow asks for, he receives in Cincinnati. In recent years, he’s asked for extensions or raises for Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Mike Gesicki and Trey Hendrickson. He got them.He asked for the team to attack a “paramount” free agency and offseason differently than in the past, and the Bengals delivered the most aggressive revamp of the defense in his tenure.He even asked for an international game and a primetime Thursday night game against the Ravens and received both.Yet, he’s never received anything quite like the team the Bengals put together for the 2026 season.“This is the most talented roster that we have had since I have been here,” Burrow said.During his first local news conference since the end of the disappointing 2025 season, a third straight campaign without a playoff berth, Burrow continually heaped praise on the often-criticized front office for the work done to put the team in a position to win a championship.“The front office has taken a lot of heat from the fans, the public, the media,” Burrow said. “We can put all of that behind us. They went and made it happen with free agency. I thought the draft, obviously, we’ll find out. We don’t know a ton about these rookies yet, but it seems like they brought the right kind of guys in. And then obviously with Dexter (Lawrence), making a trade like that, that doesn’t happen a ton in the NFL. So it’s exciting to see.”The Bengals added Bryan Cook, a player Burrow called “the best safety in free agency,” then added Jonathan Allen and Boye Mafe on the open market. They added SEC Defensive Player of the Year Cashius Howell in the second round and traded the draft’s No. 10 pick for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.Burrow said he didn’t have the on-site meeting with the team after the season, but was involved during free agency. He stated plainly there was no mandate for moves he wanted the front office to make, when asked about rumors to the contrary, and said he was “certainly” satisfied with what the team put together.“I would say if anything, I was less involved this year than in years past,” Burrow said. “There’s no secret that the last several years didn’t go the way we wanted to, and there’s a lot of blame to go around for that, myself included. And so, we’re in a great spot this year. We brought in great people and great players. You can feel the vibes of the locker room. The energy is elevated right now.”The quarterback turns 30 in December and admitted he’s starting to feel that number coming on, but spoke with confidence about what he can accomplish this season, both collectively and personally.Burrow even specifically mentioned that he’s 47 touchdown passes away from the club record for a career, currently held by Andy Dalton (204).“Doable,” Burrow said, admitting he still has eyes on earning his first MVP.He still sees months of work and areas for improvement on his plate. He wants the offense to be more explosive, build consistency and establish the team chemistry with some new leaders in place, specifically on defense.Make no mistake, the optimism and excitement about where the club sits was obvious, despite the typically calm demeanor from the face of the franchise.Anyone looking for unhappiness or frustration, which was often notable in that very news conference room in recent years, came away empty. Happy, confident Burrow was back.“I’m fired up about the people that we brought in,” he said. “I’m fired up about the mindset guys are bringing on the daily. I’m fired up about the energy everybody is bringing in the weight room and conditioning in practice. Obviously, not going against each other yet, but when OTAs start, I’m excited to get some competition going. We have a lot of work to get done before July, before September. I love where we’re at right now.”May 20, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms