A ready-to-go Joe Burrow isn't enough to convince Richard Sherman that the Cincinnati Bengals will win the AFC North.
Sherman picked the Baltimore Ravens to win the division during an AFC preview published by iHeart, even after co-host Mitchell Eisenstein made the case for Cincinnati with Burrow healthy for 17 games.
“If Joe Burrow played corner or safety for the Cincinnati Bengals, I’d be right there with you,” Sherman said.
His concern centered squarely on a defense that surrendered 492 points in 2025, third most in the NFL.
“It’s not always Joe Burrow’s fault it doesn’t work out … they [the defense] couldn’t stop a nosebleed last season."
Sherman recalled watching games in which Burrow and the offense produced more than enough points without Cincinnati
being able to finish the job defensively.
The Bengals spent the offseason attempting to address exactly that problem.
Cincinnati redid its defensive front with the additions of Dexter Lawrence II, Jonathan Allen and Boye Mafe while also adding safety Bryan Cook. The Bengals described Lawrence as the centerpiece of a significant defensive facelift.
Those moves weren't enough to change Sherman’s prediction before seeing the new unit in action.
He also predicted Cincinnati would open the season 1-3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Richard Sherman blasts Bengals defense in AFC North prediction
