Let’s go win the whole damn thing, men. We’re going to win the Super Bowl. Let’s not just talk about it, let’s be intentional in everything we do on the field and in the locker room and have a championship
mentality.
This is the year. There is no next year.
This is what Joe Burrow’s been telling his Cincinnati Bengals teammates and everyone in the organization.
Yes! That’s what we need around here. Winning mentality. A we’re-the-best attitude.
Next step: Win.
Highlight Aug. 20, 2026, on your paper or iPhone calendar. We may look back on it as a key day in the Bengals’ pursuit of a championship.
The Bengals’ rebuilt defense made some critical plays late in the joint practice with the Chicago Bears that had a championship edge to it. The Bengals finished strong and stuffed the Bears’ high-powered offense in crunch time, something Cincinnati couldn’t do in one of the most disappointing losses in a 2025 season full of disappointing losses.
The Bengals overhauled their defense with Dexter Lawrence and Super Bowl ring owners Boye Mafe and Bryan Cook partly because of that crushing, 47-42 loss to Chicago at Paycor Stadium last season, when Cincinnati failed to hold a lead in the closing minute of the game.
At practice, Myles Murphy sacked Caleb Williams inside the Bears’ 5-yard line. Murphy sacked the Bears’ star quarterback again for a safety. Bengals cornerback Jalen Davis then picked off Williams’ pass. All in consecutive plays to finish out practice.
Coffin nails, as Lap would say. Bam. Bam. Bam.
Burrow followed up minutes later by telling reporters exactly why he’s openly talking about the Bengals winning the Super Bowl this season.
“I’m trying to manifest it,” Burrow said. “You can keep pushing it down the road, or you can talk about it now and say: 'This is the year.’ "I’m tired of saying next year, next year, next year. This is it. Your life is too short to keep pushing things down the road. I’m trying to instill some urgency and some intensity in everybody to go and be great every day and try to go make it happen."
Preach, Joe. It's about time a sports leader in this town said it.
We can try to overanalyze what'll become of Burrow if this isn't the year. Not necessary right now. Let's focus on what could get the Bengals over the hump and potentially put the first Lombardi Trophy on display in the offices at 1 Paycor Stadium. The Bengals' defense has looked really good in camp.
Lawrence volleyball-tipped a pass up and intercepted it at the line of scrimmage a series before the big three plays. His locker-room leadership has been praised by his teammates. He's been telling teammates that he's here for one reason – to win a Super Bowl.
Yeah, it's all talk right now. But the talk is coming from the guys who can back it up. It's coming from the winners on the roster, the leaders who choose their words wisely and don't bloviate. Burrow means what he says. So does Lawrence. They both know what it takes, having won a combined three national championships in college.
What's great about Burrow and Lawrence is their big talk about winning the Super Bowl comes with perspective. They both made sure to point out that a good day of practice or a handful of great plays in practice aren't something to get overly excited about.
"We're still working through things," Lawrence said. "We performed well at the end, but we just got to be more steady."
Said Burrow: "Guys have been stepping up, making big plays. But it's only training camp."
Contact columnist Jason Williams at jwilliams@enquirer.com
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Super Bowl talk meaningful from Joe Burrow, Dexter Lawrence | Williams
