Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow struggled against the Ravens on Sunday, throwing a pair of interceptions. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images© Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On Wednesday, Joe Burrow’s 29th birthday, the Bengals’ quarterback talked about struggling with issues on and off the field. He also spoke about needing to have fun if he was going to continue playing football. 

After that, the Bengals would have come out and given maximum effort against the division-rival Ravens at home. Instead, Cincinnati was demolished 24–0 to officially end their season, with Burrow throwing two interceptions on 5.8 yards per attempt. 

Cincinnati has to be horrified. Burrow talking about his future in a murky way is bad enough, but then there’s the on-field product. The Bengals rank dead last defensively in points and yardage, and their only star defensive player, Trey Hendrickson, will hit free agency in March 2026. 

At some point, owner Mike Brown needs to sit Burrow down and ask him what he wants. Does he want Zac Taylor as head coach despite Cincinnati missing the playoffs in five of his seven years? Does he want general manager Duke Tobin ousted after being in his chair since 1999? In short, what would make Burrow more confident with the organization’s direction?

If those questions aren’t being asked directly to Burrow, it’s a failure from the top down.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/the-good-bad-and-ugly-week-15-nfl-s-best-team-clinches-a-playoff-spot/ar-AA1SkzKl?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=a671755564654879a978dbd26311f7ae&ei=40

The Family may ask Burrow about Taylor, but I doubt it. He sure as hell won't be asked about Tobin and his staff.

Frankly, if it were my team I wouldn't ask Burrow about either. Taylor would be gone. You just can't lose that consistently and keep your job. The honeymoon from the Super Bowl run is long over. It's a stale marriage where Taylor and Burrow likely try to ignore each other and hope it gets better. It wont.

I've generally been in favor of the more reserved approach by this front office. Other front offices might make headlines, but do they really make their teams better? I have more respect for the Ratbirds and Shittesburg in how they continue to build and improve their rosters. The Pats off season signings with one exception weren't headlilne grabbers but there were many. Reminds me of Marvin's early years and the rebuilding year. Going all in on the offense didn't seem to work. But let's just reset the deck chairs and sail back into the iceburg filled waters.

Key Free Agent Signings (Unrestricted/Restricted): 

• Stefon Diggs (WR): A major acquisition from Houston.

• Joshua Dobbs (QB): Signed as a veteran quarterback.

• Marcus Epps (S): A reunion with former Raiders coach Josh McDaniels.

• Morgan Moses (T): Signed as a veteran tackle.

• K'Lavon Chaisson (EDGE): Added to the pass-rushing unit.

• Carlton Davis III (CB): Came from the Lions.

• Garrett Bradbury (C): A veteran center.

• Robert Spillane (LB): Another reunion with former Raiders staff.

• Milton Williams (DT): A key defensive tackle addition.

• Austin Hooper (TE): Re-signed for another year.

• Christian Elliss (LB): Re-signed as a restricted free agent.

Anyone calling Duke the GM doesn't know WTF they're talking about

And yet we call for his head.

I mean this has got to be made up soap opera drama to get views. For fux sakes.

1 hour ago, CincyInDC said:

And yet we call for his head.

He's the designated scapegoat for all the family's mismanagement. After 26 years it's probably time for a change of scapegoat, but that's all it will be - if it actually happens. They'll find another lackey yes-man to take the blame.

A quick browse of their official staff chart would tell anyone that bothers (like, idk, an actual journalist) that GM is not his title. Mike was famously giving himself a million dollar "GM bonus" but maybe he stopped. Maybe that's Pumpkin, who knows? Again, IIRC they've got at least 3 people listed as Assistant GMs & no one as GM. Because they're the Bungos. No one is responsible for anything.

@Catfish Bob is on to something: the media vultures are swarming to do what they do so well: stir shit up, and hope something lands as being at least remotely accurate.

They have all but ignored Joe’s presser. He clearly said he was commited to the City and the Bengals. That should have been full stop there. He also affirmed his coaches.

Not disagreeing that fresh air is needed. But to allow these hyenas to set the narrative—where one really does not exist—is allowing it to burgeon

3 hours ago, T-Dub said:

Anyone calling Duke the GM doesn't know WTF they're talking about

Mike Brown is the GM, but he isn't involved in daily activities. When it comes to personnel decisions Duke is the de facto GM unless Mike Brown takes a shine to some local kid.

2 minutes ago, UncleEarl said:

Mike Brown is the GM, but he isn't involved in daily activities. When it comes to personnel decisions Duke is the de facto GM unless Mike Brown takes a shine to some local kid.

I don't believe that for a second. Katie, Troy, Paul the 2nd are all making decisions over Duke's head. He's the GM when it's time to blame someone for bad management decisions, draft busts, and do-nothing free agents. If you think he's doing all that independently without the family's input, oversight, and ultimate approval you're kidding yourself. They tell us Mike's "not involved" then he's tooling around every practice in a cart having his little one-to-one chats or waking up in meetings long enough to suggest they try out Stewart at TE.

Duke's been here for almost 3 decades now & it's clearly not because he's built some kind of dynasty or even been comfortably average at the job. He's providing them a different service. His job is not what we think it is. If it was about building a winning football team they'd have fired him 20 years ago. He's instead become a fixture. Obviously they're keeping him around for other reasons.

It's systemic. If Mike's truly not involved at all, yet they're still like this, what hope is there?

1 hour ago, T-Dub said:

I don't believe that for a second. Katie, Troy, Paul the 2nd are all making decisions over Duke's head. He's the GM when it's time to blame someone for bad management decisions, draft busts, and do-nothing free agents. If you think he's doing all that independently without the family's input, oversight, and ultimate approval you're kidding yourself. They tell us Mike's "not involved" then he's tooling around every practice in a cart having his little one-to-one chats or waking up in meetings long enough to suggest they try out Stewart at TE.

Duke's been here for almost 3 decades now & it's clearly not because he's built some kind of dynasty or even been comfortably average at the job. He's providing them a different service. His job is not what we think it is. If it was about building a winning football team they'd have fired him 20 years ago. He's instead become a fixture. Obviously they're keeping him around for other reasons.

It's systemic. If Mike's truly not involved at all, yet they're still like this, what hope is there?

Ehhh...to much complication and nefarious bullshit. Simple is usually correct. Katie & Troy are about the dollars. They worry about keeping payroll down, saving money on every damn thing, and sticking it to the residents of Hamilton County. They have never claimed to be football people like Mikey Boy. Duke runs the personnel show unless someone wants too much money, or Mikey Boy wakes up from his nap and has an idea. Yeah, I think Mike still gets involved now and then, but it's mostly Duke and his little team of misfits.

Star players win and lose games, coaches and organizations win championships. They sustain the pipeline.

There is a saying that the person who acts as his own lawyer has an idiot for a client. I think in today's NFL, that is also true of the owner who is his (or her) own GM. And for many of the same reasons. We needs someone accountable who's number one priority is putting the best team possible on the field now. That's how ~27 other NFL teams operate.

The Brown Family has forever been penny wise and pound foolish. They sell the least amount of Merch in the league, and only maintain such a high team valuation because of the unique ownership structure and sweetheart Stadium deal they complain about.

Sure... They may well hire someone incompetent. But they can FIRE that guy and try again. It's still an improvement over our current sitch.

If they don't have the cash to play with the big boys, take in some outside investors. Daddy's legacy or not, this is a $2 Billion business. It's not a f***ing barbershop! It's not a Tobacco store from 1926 with the original Indian out front. Your Daddy's legacy or not, the sweetheart Stadium Deal comes from representing the city of Cincy. One would hope a source of civic pride. There is an implicit contract there. You are obligated to fight, to win - not to march your Hoplites towards the cannons in exactly the same formations Grandpa used to use out of respect for tradition.

Outside of the Ohio Valley, all most people know about Cincy is WKRP, Gross Chili, and "The B(u)ngalsz". We thank you for sacrificing your schools and roads to act as Patron for our weekend tragi-comedy. People in Pittsburgh don't hate us as much as pity us. I would say the Brown family has not held up their end of the bargain.

It's been 35 stinking years - from Mike through Katie. It's almost mind bogglingly selfish and stubborn to refuse to ask for help at this point. To try NOTHING new. To proudly try nothing new. To be offended that you would even suggest doing something new. When you keep raising ticket prices and expecting families to sacrifice to buy season tickets. To rally 'round the home team and support them in good times and bad.

The people of Cincy should demand that the Brown family turn over personnel decisions to a GM. They've had 35 years to put a winning product on the field.

This is the best post that I have ever read on here

We are basically the 2007 Bengals with a way worse defense. Carson out most of the year, Offense meh, good skill position players, a misfit receiver, coach who is still owed money, etc.

Next year we will have one of the easiest schedules in football as we play the NFC South so my guess is we squeak out a wild card spot. That will keep Zac safe for another few years until Joe makes his escape ala Matt Stafford after the 2027 season and Chase and Tee chase the bag somewhere else.

Lather, Rinse, Repeat.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6892444/2025/12/16/duke-tobin-zac-taylor-al-golden-bengals/

"Yes, in most places, the de facto general manager of a team that missed the playoffs three consecutive years while employing Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins would be on the hot seat," Dehner wrote. "Specifically, when considering a bottom-quarter defense three years running, it was impacted by a debilitating series of roster-construction blunders. That’s just not the case here.

"There are cracks in the foundation, absolutely. There’s no way around the results and outrage currently directed at Tobin by the fan base. He’s never seen his role challenged or exposed to this level externally. Internally, however, it’s just not happening. Tobin is viewed as family in nearly the same regard as the actual Browns and Blackburns. There is zero thought that his job is in jeopardy. He will have to lead the Bengals out of this drought, and ownership trusts him to do so."

WKRC

Bengals exec: 'We could go wherever we wanted after this...

She suggests the team could relocate without a new lease. The Bengals have until June 30 to extend their current lease.

"If the county doesn't give us more money, we will go find some other city to embarrass. Then you'll be sorry."

~ Katie Blackburn

12 hours ago, New Jersey Bengal said:

This is the best post that I have ever read on here

Agree.

Lost nailed it and that's sad.

12 hours ago, New Jersey Bengal said:

This is the best post that I have ever read on here

Agree.

Lost nailed it and that's sad.

5 hours ago, SF2 said:

We are basically the 2007 Bengals with a way worse defense. Carson out most of the year, Offense meh, good skill position players, a misfit receiver, coach who is still owed money, etc.

Next year we will have one of the easiest schedules in football as we play the NFC South so my guess is we squeak out a wild card spot. That will keep Zac safe for another few years until Joe makes his escape ala Matt Stafford after the 2027 season and Chase and Tee chase the bag somewhere else.

Lather, Rinse, Repeat.

I'm not so sure they'll topple NFC South teams next year.

They'll improve off season while the Bengals

stay stagnant aside from the draft and a possible meh signing.

1 hour ago, LostInDaJungle said:

"If the county doesn't give us more money, we will go find some other city to embarrass. Then you'll be sorry."

~ Katie Blackburn

Sadly - that's probably the only thing that would make me not be a fan of the team anymore.

1 hour ago, claptonrocks said:

They'll improve off season while the Bengals

stay stagnant aside from the draft and a possible meh signing.

At the risk of beating a dead horse - stagnant is a feature, not a bug.

Duke has been here since 1999. He was the "defacto" GM back when Carson Palmer forced his way out of here. How does a GM with any accountability still have a job after that fiasco? HOW??

Have you heard Katie talk? She is VERY proud of the job she's doing. Fans are only mad because they don't understand how hard it is. They don't "get it", they're stupid and mean to her at Kroger. You know, she's a human being too. Say what you want but she runs a very successful business that has doubled in value over the last decade and was the first woman to do almost every GM thing that could be done in the NFL. Girl boss. She's on the competition committee.

And Mike Brown - well, the ball bounces funny for everybody. But if you just keep showing up and doing the work, eventually you'll reap the rewards. If only we had players like back in the day. Jim Brown wasn't on ESPN making a fool of himself. But you know, it's young guys.... Whaddya going to do. PATRONIZING SMILE

I don't live in Cincy - it's not my schools, my roads. About 50% of the people I mention Cincy to say - "the B-ungles". The city has a right to ask for return on their investment.

I'm sure there's other towns that would be willing to pony up for an NFL team. See the LA Raiders for how that turned out. Ask the LV raiders how it's going. And start asking where the new Stadium for the San Antonio Raiders is going to get built. Ask how it went for Al Davis' moron kid. And so on...

Aside from The Superdome (Multipurpose and OLD) Buffalo and KC have older stadiums that cost less than 1/4 what Paycor did. Movement is away from large public contribution to Stadiums for NFL teams. Smaller localities get squeezed with threats to move. People aren't begging Katie to bring her dysfunction.

The Family isn't going to get a better deal somewhere else. And a bigger spotlight will just bring bigger expectations. What, you're going to leave and make Pittsburgh our closest "Home Team"? Don't threaten me with competent management and organizational success.

Need to send a message that you're against stadium funding until the FO modernizes. Hell, I'd settle for some consultants from the Rand Corp and a promise to modernize cap structure. Hell, I just want a sign that they can see there's a problem and are working on fixing it. At all. But right now the word on the street is that they're going to bring the band back together again next year. I'm sure Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham will get along just fine this time and the tour will go off without a hitch. And if it doesn't - Well, bad luck. Who could have seen that coming?

1 hour ago, LostInDaJungle said:

At the risk of beating a dead horse - stagnant is a feature, not a bug.

Duke has been here since 1999. He was the "defacto" GM back when Carson Palmer forced his way out of here. How does a GM with any accountability still have a job after that fiasco? HOW??

Have you heard Katie talk? She is VERY proud of the job she's doing. Fans are only mad because they don't understand how hard it is. They don't "get it", they're stupid and mean to her at Kroger. You know, she's a human being too. Say what you want but she runs a very successful business that has doubled in value over the last decade and was the first woman to do almost every GM thing that could be done in the NFL. Girl boss. She's on the competition committee.

And Mike Brown - well, the ball bounces funny for everybody. But if you just keep showing up and doing the work, eventually you'll reap the rewards. If only we had players like back in the day. Jim Brown wasn't on ESPN making a fool of himself. But you know, it's young guys.... Whaddya going to do. PATRONIZING SMILE

I don't live in Cincy - it's not my schools, my roads. About 50% of the people I mention Cincy to say - "the B-ungles". The city has a right to ask for return on their investment.

I'm sure there's other towns that would be willing to pony up for an NFL team. See the LA Raiders for how that turned out. Ask the LV raiders how it's going. And start asking where the new Stadium for the San Antonio Raiders is going to get built. Ask how it went for Al Davis' moron kid. And so on...

Aside from The Superdome (Multipurpose and OLD) Buffalo and KC have older stadiums that cost less than 1/4 what Paycor did. Movement is away from large public contribution to Stadiums for NFL teams. Smaller localities get squeezed with threats to move. People aren't begging Katie to bring her dysfunction.

The Family isn't going to get a better deal somewhere else. And a bigger spotlight will just bring bigger expectations. What, you're going to leave and make Pittsburgh our closest "Home Team"? Don't threaten me with competent management and organizational success.

Need to send a message that you're against stadium funding until the FO modernizes. Hell, I'd settle for some consultants from the Rand Corp and a promise to modernize cap structure. Hell, I just want a sign that they can see there's a problem and are working on fixing it. At all. But right now the word on the street is that they're going to bring the band back together again next year. I'm sure Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham will get along just fine this time and the tour will go off without a hitch. And if it doesn't - Well, bad luck. Who could have seen that coming?

Good stuff.

Surprised KC and the Hunt family are 100%

tax payer funded..

Yes the Bengals at bottom in private funds

but surprised so many other teams are as well.

5 minutes ago, claptonrocks said:

Good stuff.

Surprised KC and the Hunt family are 100%

tax payer funded..

Yes they're bottom in private funds

but surprised so many other teams are as well.

Chiefs (1972), Bills (1973), and Saints (1975) all built public stadiums back when that was fashionable. The Dolphins (1987) are the only stadium built in the 80's that is still used.

The Bills are already heavily invested in New Highmark Stadium for next year(?). So, they no longer will have a 100% taxpayer funded stadium.

Some big takeaways though... Look at LV. 50/50 taxpayer and private. The days of the State or county picking up 90% of the tab are OVER. And Las Vegas desperately wanted a team. Austin might be happy to have the Bengals, but they don't get to move into a new free stadium.

And how sweetheart is the Bengals stadium deal? Baltimore (1998) $220M total cost. Pittsburgh (2001) $281M. Browns (1998) $283M. Paycor (2000) $455M.

The city has invested too much in this team for them to be a laughing stock. And they have leverage.

I think Cleveland’s ratio will change substantially once the new stadium is built, especially since the State of Ohio is kicking in $600 million dollars of taxpayer funds. You know, because the Haslams don’t have enough money, you know.

There are all sorts of misnomers re: “publicly funded” also. I seem to recall that a decent amount of the current CFT home was provided by a “sin tax” on smokes and booze. Las Vegas had yet another surcharge on gaming revenue taxes. Look under the hood a little more, and not everything is the talking point of “taking road money away for billionaire playpens”.

16 hours ago, claptonrocks said:

Yes the Bengals at bottom in private funds

but surprised so many other teams are as well.

Yes, because if the Bengals were privately funded there wouldn't be any Bengals.

Plus the Brown family would never give up controlling ownership in the team.

Its their family livelihood and not a shiny new toy sideline like so many other owners,.

Chart also makes me happy I live in Clermont, not Hamilton county.