ESPN NFL analyst Tim Hasselbeck acknowledged that the Cincinnati Bengals have made defensive improvements during the offseason, but blasted the team for underachieving during quarterback Joe Burrow’s injury-plagued career.
“The concern I have just organizationally and Joe Burrow healthwise,” Hasselbeck said. “He’s been in the league six years. He’s started the entire season just three times in six years. … And in that stretch, they’ve only had double-digit wins twice. It’s just not been a good organization. And a lot of it has been because the quarterback can’t stay healthy.
“It feels like Matthew Stafford early on in Detroit,” Hasselbeck continued. “While there’s talent on the team, and you think, ‘Wow, this team could be really good.’ … This quarterback is definitely Super Bowl-caliber quarterback. They just organizationally can’t get it done, can’t be competitive with the elite organizations in the league. That’s just what it’s starting to feel like to me with Burrow’s era in Cincinnati.”
In 2025, Hasselbeck said Shedeur Sanders’ NFL quarterback comp was former Bengals QB Andy Dalton.
Hasselbeck’s father, Don, was a Cincinnati native who starred in football and basketball at La Salle High School before playing tight end for nine NFL seasons.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: ESPN’s Tim Hasselbeck slams Bengals’ organization, Joe Burrow’s health
Reporting by Dave Clark, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
