Joe Burrow began the offseason saying the importance of the Cincinnati Bengals improving their roster was “as big as it gets.”

Mission accomplished? It sure sounds that way. Burrow, who attended the Met Gala this week for a second straight year, spoke on the Bengals improving around him over the last few months in an exclusive interview with Vanity Fair.

“I’m really excited about the moves we made this offseason,” Burrow said. “We need to get better, so it was exciting to see the initiative from everybody in the organization to realize that we’re in this exciting stage. We’re in our primes playing great football. Finding guys like Dexter [Lawrence] and Bryan Cook, to, you know, really solidify that defense so the young guys can also kind of rise up.

“We’re really going to try to achieve what we want to achieve.”

Detailing Bengals’ aggressive offseason

Cincinnati put forth notable effort to improve its team for 2026. Free agents Jonathan Allen, Bryan Cook, and Boye Mafe were all brought in to help stabilize a bottom-tier defense. Dexter Lawrence was acquired at the cost of the club’s first-round pick. Incoming rookies Cashius Howell and Tacario Davis should help make an instant impact on that side of the ball as well.

On offense, starting right guard Dalton Risner is back on a one-year deal. The 2026 NFL Draft provided Connor Lew and Brian Parker II as key depth pieces for the offensive line. Joe Flacco is also returning for the season to back Burrow up at QB.

The Bengals’ roster looks like it can support Burrow back to the postseason for the first time since 2022. Now 29 years old, the two-time Comeback Player of the Year knows just how important getting back on track was this offseason.

Joe Burrow recognizes the window is right now

Burrow is on record saying Cincinnati’s Super Bowl window with him is his entire career. That doesn’t mean he’s taking for granted how he’s played recently, or his teammates. He’s in his prime, as are wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Throw in tight end Mike Gesicki, left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., and now Cook, Mafe, and Lawrence.

This team is built to win right now. Not next year, not the year after, but this year.

Burrow recognizing Cincinnati’s “initiative” to load up its roster to seize the moment feels notable. The front office has embarked on expensive free agency periods before, but the Lawrence trade specifically was new ground for the club. The Bengals last exited a draft without a first-round pick in 1989. Never before had they given up their first pick straight-up in a trade for a veteran player without at least getting a pick in return.

Cincinnati would not have the roster it has now without the “initiative” Burrow mentions. No one can deny the effort put forth by the people in charge of positioning Burrow for success. It’s up to him and the players now to execute their vision.