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The Cincinnati Bengals have reached that point in the season where frustration meets humor — and ESPN analyst Ryan Clark summed it up perfectly. During a segment on ESPN NFL Live, Clark delivered a hilarious yet brutally honest take on quarterback Joe Burrow’s potential return.
ESPN took to their X (formerly known as Twitter) account to share the moment, which quickly went viral across the NFL landscape after Clark delivered his punchline.
“Unless Joe Burrow can play free safety, it don’t matter if he comes back or not.”
"Unless Joe Burrow can play free safety, it don't matter if he comes back or not."
Despite the Bengals' circumstances, Ryan Clark and Mina Kimes applaud Joe Burrow wanting to play for his teammates pic.twitter.com/CVqd9UWYl1
— ESPN (@espn) November 10, 2025
Clark’s remark came during a broader conversation with fellow analyst Mina Kimes about the quarterback’s recovery timeline. After returning to limited practice from injured reserve, he continues to dominate headlines as the Bengals weigh whether to activate him in what’s quickly become a lost season.
The humor landed because it spoke to reality. The Bengals’ struggles have little to do with quarterback play. Defensive breakdowns have defined their season — marked by missed tackles, an erratic pass rush, and blown coverages. Clark, a former safety himself, used the “free safety” line to underscore just how dire things have become on that side of the ball.
For the 13-year veteran turned analyst, the joke resonated because it came from experience. His “free safety” line captured the frustration of a franchise that has leaned too heavily on its star quarterback to mask deeper flaws. Even with Burrow’s return on the horizon, it’s clear that fixing the defense—not the offense—will decide whether the Bengals can salvage anything from 2025.
Clark’s quick wit cut deeper than a one-liner — it spoke to a larger truth about where the team currently stands. The Bengals have built their identity around the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner’s brilliance, but as the season unravels, it’s clear that no amount of offensive firepower can cover for a defense this unreliable. His comment worked as both humor and hard truth, encapsulating the uneasy reality of a team teetering between belief and collapse.
The post Ryan Clark drops hilarious ‘free safety’ stance on why Bengals QB Joe Burrow can’t save season appeared first on ClutchPoints.
