And with that, the other shoe seems ready to drop. After two Comeback Player of the Year awards and a Super Bowl berth, Joe Burrow seems to have finally run out of patience with the Cincinnati Bengals. Short of actually threatening to retire a la Carson Palmer, Burrow has made it clear in all but words as the season dies down that he wants out of Cincinnati. And based on how the Palmer situation went for the Bengals front office, there is a non-zero percent chance that they would actually part with their hero.
But a hero demands a hero's ransom in return. CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones outlined a rough sketch of what a potential trade price for Joe Burrow would like, citing first the Cleveland Browns' deal to acquire Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans (three first-round picks, two second rounders, and one third) as a floor. He also went on to note than an anonymous AFC executive speculated that for a player of Burrow's caliber, any potential trade would be forced to approach the 1999 deal that New Orleans struck to trade up for running back Ricky Williams — which saw them deal their entire 1999 draft and two additional firsts.
A high asking price, no doubt. But going into 2026, there are actually a few teams that either have the capital or desperation to operate in that ballpark for Burrow. These are all of the potential Burrow trade suitors, ranked by how much they have, and are likely willing, to offer for him.
1. New York Jets
Widely touted as the most well-stocked franchise going into the offseason (especially after that Sauce Gardner trade), New York has also been the most-linked team to Burrow ever since trade rumors started swirling. And there is plenty good reason for that, too: The Jets have four picks between the first and second rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft, a number unmatched by any other team. Moreover, the first of those picks is currently projected to fall somewhere among the top five. They don't have much to offer in the way of players — especially not at quarterback — but per the Bengals' biggest asks, no one can offer more volume, nor more value, than New York.
2. Arizona Cardinals
It's gross, and probably the hottest take on this entire list, but Arizona has something to offer Cincinnati for Burrow that no other suitor does: a quarterback under the age of 30 with a Pro Bowl appearance. They've already seemingly given up on Kyler Murray, as evidenced by a flurry of rumors that partner Arizona with everyone from Las Vegas to Pittsburgh. The Cardinals are also slated to have the No. 6 pick in the 2026 draft — an enticing combination for the right (read: most desperate) GM to jump on. Murray's injury history is of course going to play a factor in any deal, but he and a top-10 are too interesting for the Bengals to hang up immediately.
3. Las Vegas Raiders
Similarly to the Cardinals, Las Vegas has seemingly given up on its best player, shutting down superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby early and potentially putting him up on the trade block. They are also slated to hold the highest draft pick they've had since they took Jamarcus Russell. Offering an initial package of Geno Smith, the No. 2 pick and Crosby to get trade talks going would likely be most immediate return in exchange for Cincinnati letting Burrow go — and likely save the Raiders a second-round pick in the deal.
4. Los Angeles Rams
How incredible would it be to pivot from Matthew Stafford's MVP-level 2025 campaign to Joe Burrow. Talk about a reload. And as one of four teams boasting two first-round picks in the 2026 draft, Los Angeles has a shot to do so. They don't have the draft capital of the Jets, nor the movable players of the Raiders and Cardinals, but what Los Angeles has is the strength of positioning to keep going all-in on winning now.
Unique on this list, they are the only team that can really afford to not draft high, as they are both well under the cap going into 2026 and full up on a Super Bowl-worthy roster. In fact, Los Angeles hasn't actually drafted in the first round since they took Jared Goff in 2016, and they've done just fine over that stretch. So if any team can actually afford to offer the Ricky Williams experience the Bengals are rumored to be seeking, the Rams are it.
5. Minnesota Vikings
Now we've reached the other team that can offer an actual quarterback in return. And if he wasn't so eye-gougingly bad this year before going down to another injury, J.J. McCarthy at the top of a trade offer might have just vaulted Minnesota's to near the top of this list. As it stands, McCarthy is still just technically coming off of his rookie season, and the Vikings are also largely built to win now.
When partnered with a competent quarterback, Justin Jefferson is widely known as the best wide receiver in the league. Just imagine if you pair him with one of the league's best quarterbacks. And now fold in the fact that Jetta and Burrow have a similar level of chemistry and history to what led Burrow to beg Cincinnati to draft Ja'Marr Chase. The Vikings will also be motivated to sell the farm.
6. Indianapolis Colts
After trading for Gardner, the Colts have significantly less to offer than any other team on this list with regards to draft capital. And after Daniel Jones' Achilles tear and Anthony Richardson's literal eyesight coming into question for at least the near future, Indy has significantly less to offer than any other team on this list with regards to young quarterbacks.
But they still have the win-now mentality, for better or for worse, that led them to trade for Gardner in the first place. While they no longer own their 2026 first rounder, Indianapolis would be foolish to not try to sell the farm for Burrow, even if it means more than three first rounders going out. With the roster and cap space that they have, the time is now, especially if Jacksonville and Houston turn out to be legitimate year-to-year divisional threats.
T-7. Cleveland Browns/Pittsburgh Steelers
Cleveland has the absurd draft capital of the Rams and the young quarterback talent of at least Minnesota. The Steelers have the mentality (read: delusion) of a team that is in a must-win scenario, and the desperation of a quarterback hunt that stretches all the way to Ben Roethlisberger's last years in the league. So why are these two teams still in last?
Because they also occupy the AFC North. And even worse, Cleveland is inside of Ohio. Even if they offered a decade of first-round picks and Cleveland threw in Myles Garrett, both teams would be several steps away from the public execution that Cincinnati's front office would be subject to if they traded Burrow to a divisional rival. No package that these two teams could offer could ever possibly make such a move remotely possible.