Joe Burrow Sees Similarities Between Bengals, 2019 LSU, 'There's So Much Greatness' We Can Achieve

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is adopting a glass half full mentality for the 2026 NFL season.

Following a minicamp workout Wednesday, Burrow said he likes the added pressure and expectations Cincy's acquisition of defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II brought.

"I thrive in it. We'll find out who else does," he told reporters. "I know that we have the kind of people that want to be in that spot. I want everybody talking about the Bengals. I want everybody talking about what I'm saying in my press conferences.

"You go back and watch what I've said before. 2019 season at LSU, I feel very similarly about this team. I'm so excited to get started and get moving. I wish we would ramp this right into training camp, so we can continue to improve because I feel like there's so much greatness that we're gonna be able to achieve this year."

LSU ran the table in 2019 and capped off a 15-0 season with a dominant showing in the national championship. In terms of pure talent, that Tigers squad is one of the best in recent memory.

On paper, the Bengals don't have that same kind of advantage on their NFL peers.

Sure, a lot of the key pieces on offense are returning, and Cincinnati bolstered its defense in a notable way. Along with adding Lawrence, throwing Boye Mafe, Jonathan Allen and Cashius Howell into the mix bolsters the front seven.

Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski gave the Bengals a B-plus grade for their offseason.

Still, they may not be the strongest team in their division, let alone the best in their conference. The Baltimore Ravens look like the early AFC North favorites, and the competition is fierce across the entire AFC.

As the franchise QB, Burrow has to lead by example and project confidence at all times. His optimistic take on Cincinnati will be thrown back in his face if it has another slow start to the year, though.