Joe Burrow Has Flashbacks To Lsu's 2019 Juggernaut With 2026 Bengals

Joe Burrow has seen this movie before and he certainly likes the ending.

The Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback has high hopes for the 2026 NFL season after an offseason that helped produce a more well-rounded roster with plenty of depth. In Burrow's eyes, this roster resembles the LSU team in 2019 that went on to win a national championship.

It's high praise for the Bengals, considering that LSU squad is regarded as one of the greatest college football teams of all time. Burrow discussed the comparison when he met with reporters on June 17.

"I feel very similarly about this team," Burrow said. "I'm so excited to get started and get moving and I wish we would ramp this ride into training camp so we can continue to improve. There's so much greatness that we're going to be able to achieve this year. I'm just excited to get going."

The Bengals were clear in their intentions to improve the defense this offseason, especially along the defensive line. That included paying a hefty price for Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II. Cincinnati parted with the No. 10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to acquire Lawrence from the New York Giants. He, along with Jonathan Allen, are players Burrow mentioned by name who have an opportunity to thrive.

"We have guys that have been there and done that and also guys that have had a lot of individual success and not necessarily the team success that are looking for it," Burrow said.

It's the desire for team success that should only add to the urgency the team brings into the season. After all, Burrow expressed the belief that all the offseason work had checked the necessary boxes.

"We have everything we need," Burrow said. "We're deep at just about every single position on the team."

He pointed out that previous versions of the Bengals were top-heavy, which isn't the case this year, with competition all the way down to the final roster spots.

"This is the first year that is really the case in my opinion and it's an exciting place to be when you have too many good players," he said. Now it's our job to try to find a way to make this a cohesive unit and like I said before, build that trust and build those relationships so we can go out and execute."

That depth is something Burrow considers valuable in more ways than one. While some of those final roster spots are often overlooked, the quarterback noted that they are often the players who turn out to be much more important.

"You see every year, there's a big play on special teams that sways the game a certain way," Burrow said. "You saw several games in the playoffs where somebody knocks a ball out on special teams, somebody muffs a punt on special teams.

"You have to have guys that you can count on because they're going to be in those spots. And if you have guys that can make plays in those spots, it's a game-changer."

Those players might be game-changers, but it's important to remember the Bengals are only going as far as Burrow takes them. Make no mistake, he is the real game-changer in Cincinnati. And if he can stay healthy with this roster, the Bengals figure to have a season with plenty of winning.

On paper, the pieces fit nicely together. Time will tell if that remains the case in practice.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joe Burrow feels 2026 Bengals roster resembles LSU's 2019 champions