Steve Bartkowski has a clear message for the Burrow family: Steer clear of Cincinnati at all costs.
“[The Bengals are] not the best organization,” Bartkowski said after meeting Joe Burrow at an awards reception on Sunday night in Fort Worth. “I know what it’s like to go to a bottom-feeder team. I’d hate to see that happen to him to be honest.”
The former No. 1 overall pick joins a chorus of people telling the presumptive No. 1 to avoid the Bengals. Retired quarterback Carson Palmer, who was selected No. 1 overall in the 2003 Draft by Cincinnati, has been highly critical of the team’s lack of winning culture.
“They’re Ohio guys,” Bartkowski said. “I might’ve offended them by telling them that, if it’s the Bengals, I think I’d pull an Eli Manning on that one. I said, you’ve got a chance to do that. That’s happened. [John] Elway kind of set the tone, then the Mannings delved into it after Eli was picked by San Diego.”
Manning strong-armed the San Diego Chargers in 2004 and was ultimately sent to the Giants.
Bartkowski was in a similar situation in 1975. Days before the draft, a struggling Falcons team traded with the Colts for the No. 1 pick and he was selected by Atlanta.
“Atlanta wasn’t a good organization until Arthur Blank bought the team. It was a terrible organization. They didn’t know the right hand from the left to be honest,” he said. “They beat me up. I spent more time at the hospital recuperating from injuries my first three years than I did throwing touchdowns. It was tough.”
The Bengals finished with a league-worst 2-14 record in 2019 and have never won a Super Bowl. The 23-year-old Heisman Trophy winner avoided addressing the matter directly last week.
“If they select me, they select me,” Burrow said tepidly. “I do have leverage. They have their process and I have my process. We haven’t even gotten to the combine yet. There’s a lot of things that happen leading up to the draft and a lot of information gathered. Right now, I’m focused on being the best football player I can be.”