Dan Patrick claims Joe Burrow is ‘calling the shots’ for Bengals and gave them an ‘ultimatum’

TL;DR

Dan Patrick claims Joe Burrow is exerting significant influence over the Bengals, reportedly giving management an ultimatum to improve the defense or risk losing him. This assertion highlights the pressure on the Bengals to keep their franchise quarterback satisfied amid playoff struggles.

Key points

Joe Burrow is reportedly calling the shots for the Bengals.
Burrow allegedly gave management an ultimatum regarding the defense.
The Bengals traded the 10th overall pick for Dexter Lawrence.

Joe BurrowCincinnati BengalsNew York GiantsDexter Lawrence

Dec 28, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) leaves the field after a game against the Arizona Cardinals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images The Cincinnati Bengals remain one of the only NFL teams that the entire national media is worried about doing everything possible to keep their franchise quarterback happy. So the Bengals’ decision to trade the 10th overall pick for Dexter Lawrence from the New York Giants has been analyzed with that extra layer on top. Dan Patrick took it further than most people talking about the situation, asserting that Joe Burrow is calling the shots or throwing his weight around with the front office: “I was told Joe Burrow is the one calling the shots in Cincinnati,” Patrick said. “From what I’m told, Joe Burrow said to management, ‘You’ve gotta do something defensively, or I am out of here.’ I was told this morning by a source, who said that Joe has given them an ultimatum.” This is a pretty big claim. To throw out that he has a source makes it a little more noteworthy than the run-of-the-mill claim. It is also worth mentioning that Patrick was one of the first to raise the torch in the mob of people claiming Burrow wouldn’t want to play for Cincinnati. It has to be frustrating for Burrow for sure to miss the playoffs three seasons in a row, but he also missed plenty of time in some of those stretches. The real mess was in 2024 when he had an MVP-caliber season wasted with a terrible defense. Still, the defense absolutely sank this past season as it wasted several good outings from . It still seems far-fetched that Burrow would give an ultimatum to the Bengals. He has purposefully stayed away from going that route plenty of times. We have seen and heard that he was willing to put pressure on the front office when he talked about re-signing Ja’Marr Chase, , and . Obviously, we saw two of those three come to fruition. Most likely, the only people who know the truth are Burrow and the highest front-office members. It seems hard to believe anyone else would be in the know about that. If it were some reason true, it means a lot that the Bengals actually listened. They at least understand how lucky they were to be able to draft him.

Q&A

What ultimatum did Joe Burrow reportedly give the Bengals?

Joe Burrow allegedly told Bengals management that they need to improve the defense or he would consider leaving the team.

How has Joe Burrow's performance affected the Bengals' playoff chances?

Burrow has missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, with a particularly disappointing 2024 season where his MVP-caliber performance was undermined by a poor defense.

What was Dan Patrick's role in revealing Burrow's influence over the Bengals?

Dan Patrick claimed that Burrow is the one calling the shots in Cincinnati, suggesting that he has significant sway in team decisions, particularly regarding defensive improvements.