Joe Burrow's offensive line issues: How Bengals have failed oft-injured QB since passing on Penei Sewell in 2021 NFL Draft

Joe Burrow's tenure with the Cincinnati Bengals has been frustrating, as the team has reached significant highs while also failing to repeat their success.

Part of that is Burrow's injury history, which is quickly starting to rack up. The quarterback has now had significant injuries in three of his six NFL seasons, derailing Cincinnati's chances of competing for a title.

The Bengals haven't helped Burrow in their inability to produce a quality offensive line. In fact, Cincinnati's offensive line issues have remained a consistent storyline since they made a Super Bowl run in the 2021 season.

MORE: Where Joe Burrow ranks among best QBs in NFL

Cincinnati will have to find a way to fix the offensive line moving forward if the team wants to try and maximize Burrow's window as an elite quarterback. Here's how they've tried, and failed, to do so through the 2025 season.

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Joe Burrow's offensive line ranking

Since the Bengals drafted Burrow in 2020, they haven't given the quarterback a quality offensive line.

According to ESPN, Cincinnati's offensive line has ranked in the bottom five in pass protection every year with Burrow as the starting quarterback.

The Bengals have tried to build their offense around their skill position players, as they have multiple star receivers making over $100 million. However, the downside to that is those are resources that don't go towards the offensive line, a unit that is crucial to a team's success.

Why Bengals passed on Penei Sewell in 2021 NFL Draft

One of the pivotal draft decisions of the last half-decade came in 2021, when the Bengals took wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase over offensive lineman Penei Sewell at No. 5 overall. That allowed Sewell to fall to the Detroit Lions, who held the No. 7 overall pick.

Both players have become among the best at their position in the league, but their selections indicated the directions of their teams. Cincinnati has focused on building their offense through Burrow and his weapons, as both Chase and Tee Higgins both earned over $100 million extensions with the team. Detroit, meanwhile, has built their offense around the offensive line, led by Sewell.

Chase and Burrow had chemistry dating back to their time at LSU, which played a role in the selection. In Chase's rookie season, the Bengals made the Super Bowl, which showed what the team had in mind with the pick.

At the time of the draft, SI's Albert Breer reported that Burrow's praise of Chase during his draft process stuck with the Bengals, who saw Chase as a true No. 1 receiver. While the Bengals haven't fixed their offensive line since, it's hard to argue that Chase hasn't panned out.

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Bengals offensive line acquisitions

Draft

Since taking Chase No. 5 overall, the Bengals have used several picks on offensive linemen. With their second-round pick in the 2021 draft, immediately after taking Chase, Cincinnati selected offensive tackle Jackson Carman out of Clemson, and they also took two other offensive linemen in that class alone. However, none of those players are currently on the team.

While the Bengals have used several picks on offensive linemen, their biggest investment at the position was when they took Amarius Mims with pick No. 18 overall in 2024. Mims is currently their starting right tackle and arguably their best player on the line.

Finally, in 2025, Cincinnati used two picks on offensive linemen including a third-round pick on Dylan Fairchild, who is starting at left guard as a rookie.

Free agency

The Bengals have attempted to fix their offensive lines through free agency during the Burrow era. In 2021, they signed veteran Riley Reiff, who played one year with the team but ended the 2021 season on injured reserve.

The following year, after making the Super Bowl, Cincinnati added La'El Collins, Ted Karras and Alex Cappa in free agency. Karras and Cappa were two of the team's more successful signing, as Karras is still the Bengals' starting center, while Cappa was solid in his first two years before falling off in 2024. Collins, however, dealt with injuries and inconsistencies in his two seasons with the Bengals.

Cincinnati signed Orlando Brown Jr. as a free agent in 2023, and he remains the team's starting left tackle this year. The Bengals current offensive line is rounded out by Dalton Risner, whom the team signed right before the 2025 season.