Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow ending up in a Minnesota Vikings uniform is something that most people only thought was possible in "Madden." But after some recent eye-opening comments from Burrow, the possibility of the veteran signal-caller landing with the Vikings in the near future seems believable at the very least.
Celebrating another trip around the sun can put someone in a reflective mood, and on his 29th birthday on Wednesday, Burrow certainly had that tone about him.
“If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing it. You know, I’ve been through a lot. And if it’s not fun, what am I doing it for? I've been through more than most. It's certainly not easy on the brain or the body, so I'm just trying to have fun doing it again.
...There's a lot of things going on right now. Lot of things going on right now."
Those words have invited easy speculation about Burrow's future in Cincinnati. His seemingly annual injury sidelined him for nine games this season, and by this time next Monday, the 4-9 Bengals could be eliminated from playoff contention.
Retirement after the season seems unlikely for Burrow, but stranger things have happened. To be frank, playing for the typically underachieving (and notoriously cheap) Bengals is bound to get frustrating at some point, whatever the endgame winds up being.
On Thursday's edition of ESPN's "Get Up" morning show, ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky went all-in with an assessment of Burrow's comments.
"It's the beginning of the end for Joe Burrow in Cincinnati. The organization has absolutely failed him.
If I'm the Jets, if I'm the Raiders, if I'm the Vikings, if I'm the Steelers, I am figuring out a way, coming off of what happened just yesterday, getting together and saying, 'How do we get Joe Burrow? How do we start the process of making Joe Burrow our quarterback?'
Because he obviously no longer wants to be in Cincinnati."
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter added his thoughts about Burrow's comments.
"That's a contemplative, reflective, thoughtful Joe Burrow, who still is processing where he's at this season and how he wants to proceed.
The quote is, 'If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing it.' If you're raising that question at the end of the year, then there is a major issue going on in his mind and in that organization.
I would think he probably hasn't felt supported. The offensive line has not protected him. The defense has failed him. The personnel has not been good around him, and it is within Joe Burrow's right to say and do whatever he wants.
He will have a huge say in whether he wants to keep playing, whether he wants to keep playing in Cincinnati.
I can tell you this: there were other teams around the league that took notice of that."
Using Orlovsky's naming of possible suitors for Burrow as a jumping-off point, let's see if we can come up with a trade that results in Burrow landing in Minnesota.
What could a trade for Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow look like for the Minnesota Vikings?
If, and it's a massive 'if', Burrow were traded during the offseason, he'd be able to determine where he goes via who he would or wouldn't waive his no-trade clause for.
The Vikings would seem to have a slight edge over other potential suitors there, since they'd be able to reunite him with former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson.
The starting point for acquiring Burrow would be first-round picks from the next two years. One or two Day 2 draft picks would likely also be a prerequisite.
If it's the Vikings who acquire Burrow, J.J. McCarthy would automatically be part of the deal, and a second Minnesota player would also probably have to be sent to Cincinnati, likely from the defensive side of the ball.
Here's a possible trade proposal to bring Burrow to Minnesota.
There is also the not-so-small matter of Burrow's contract. He is under contract through 2029 via the five-year, $275 million deal he signed with the Bengals in September of 2023.
But a closer look, via Over The Cap, shows no fully guaranteed salary left for Burrow after 2026, and his base salaries from 2026-2028 are not massive. Not coincidentally, then, trading him becomes more palatable for the Bengals after next season in terms of cap savings and dead money.
From 2026-2029, there is also a date each year where a prorated portion of Burrow's $90 million option comes due.
On Cincinnati's end, trading Burrow before June 1, 2026, would trigger a dead money hit of nearly $56.5 million. Trading him after that date would allow that dead money to be spread out from 2026-2029, and they'd actually clear some 2026 cap space.
For now, the Vikings (or anyone) trading for Burrow in the offseason belongs deep in the unlikely column. That said, unlikely can quickly become likely if he continues to be frustrated.
And while it won't be cheap to acquire the former No. 1 overall pick, his contract not being an albatross for an acquiring team would add to the list of potential suitors for a rarely-available quarterback in his prime.