CINCINNATI -- The way Joe Burrow feels about this year's Cincinnati Bengals team feels familiar to him.
For the Pro Bowl quarterback, the vibes are similar to what they were when he led LSU to the national championship and had one of the most decorated seasons in college football history. And he feels the Bengals could be on the cusp of a similar season.
"You go back and watch what I said before the 2019 season at LSU," Burrow said Wednesday. "I feel very similarly about this team. I'm so excited to get started and get moving. I wish we ramped this right into training camp so we can continue to improve.
"I feel like there's so much greatness we'll be able to achieve this year that I'm just excited to get going."
Burrow will have to wait on that. The Bengals wrapped up minicamp two days early, with Wednesday serving as a team activity day before coach Zac Taylor dismissed the group for the summer. Taylor said all the necessary parts of the playbook have been installed and the on-field work the team has done over the past few weeks merited the early dismissal.
But that didn't stop Burrow from putting in an incredible amount of work. He was on the practice field for an additional hour after Tuesday's practice and also had an extended throwing session Wednesday, which will be the team's final workday at Paycor Stadium before training camp begins in mid-July.
The reasoning behind Burrow's approach this week was simple. "Just trying to get better, man," he said.
Improving with a greater sense of purpose was a common refrain for the bulk of Burrow's news conference Wednesday. When asked if this was going to be a make-or-break year for the Bengals following a series of aggressive moves by the franchise, Burrow said there is "certainly" a sense of urgency for the group.
This offseason, the Bengals traded the 10th overall pick for Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and restructured Burrow's contract to give them an additional $10 million in cap space for the 2026 season. And that urgency has changed how Burrow operates around his teammates.
"I've tried be a little more vocal in a mean way," Burrow said. "I think that's a little out of my comfort zone, but that's somewhere that I'm improving. Maybe it's good and maybe it's bad, but we'll find out."
Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher termed that a little bit differently.
"I would say maybe he's just been a little more blunt and a little more immediate at times," Pitcher said.
And time is certainly of the essence. The Bengals were 6-11 last year. They have missed the playoffs in each of the past three seasons. The team retained Taylor and de facto general manager Duke Tobin in hopes that consistency and proven success before the recent rut can yield winning results again.
That is what Burrow wants.
And as conversation swirls about Burrow's future, which is under contract in Cincinnati through 2029, and whether the Bengals can become a contender again, Burrow is eager to embrace the expectations he has for the team.
"Put pressure on guys," Burrow said. "I love it. I thrive in it. We'll find out who else does. I know we have the kind of people who want to be in that spot. I want everybody talking about the Bengals. I want everybody talking about what I'm saying in my press conferences."