Nine Reasons We Love Joe Burrow

With just nine days until Joe Burrow and the rest of the Cincinnati Bengals return to the field, it’s the perfect time to review why fans love the second-year passer.

1. Time and Time Again, Joe Burrow Makes Impossible Passes Look Normal

From his time at LSU to his first pro season, Joe Burrow’s off-script throws have been works of beauty and occasionally look too easy to be real. 

One throw comes to mind; in Week 8 at home against the Tennessee Titans, Burrow fires a strike to Tyler Boyd, who wasn’t looking at the ball, for a key first down against the one-loss opponent.

Frankly, it’s just one of the many from Burrow, who is quickly emerging as one of the league’s passing wizards.

2. Burrow Is an Ohio Guy Through and Through

Whether it’s his continuous love for the Cleveland Cavaliers, his repping of Ohio brands (including Lordstown Motors and Where I’m From), or his enjoyment in being a Bengal, Burrow continues to show his love for his home state.

3. His Love of SpongeBob (and SpongeBob-related gameday attire)

Throughout his rookie season in Cincinnati, Joe Burrow arrived to games sporting some truly sharp suits. Frequently, those suits were accented by SpongeBob Squarepants-related merch.

In November, Burrow told local media, "I was scared of everything growing up. I still don't like scary movies. I don't like haunted houses or anything like that. I couldn't watch Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, House. I was strictly a SpongeBob, Disney Channel, Nickelodeon kind of guy."

Burrow is known to be a big fan of the Nickelodeon classic. In fact, he wore Spongebob socks during his iconic Heisman trophy speech (more on that later).

4. When It Comes to Snarky Social Media Posts, Burrow is a Master

During the pre-draft process, the nation got a great look into Burrow’s snark and sense of humor.

One noteworthy tweet came after his hand measurements were released to the public after the NFL Combine. Burrow simply joked off what some considered to be an underwhelming measurement.

5. No One Outworks Joe Burrow, Who Won’t Leave the Field After Practice Ends

Famously, during his final summer of training at LSU, Burrow conducted after-practice sessions with his receiving corps. These sessions were considered pivotal on the team’s path to their 2019 National Championship. 

Now, Burrow is repeating the same processes at the NFL level. Working with Tee Higgins, Ja’Marr Chase, CJ Uzomah and Tyler Boyd in the sweltering Cincinnati summer heat, he’s impossible to take off the practice field without a strong day’s work.

This is a process that shined through during his rehab process as well. Burrow’s remarkable work ethic allowed him to retun to practice in April after a nasty knee injury in Novemeber.

6. With Clear Respect from his teammates, He Delivered a Powerful Speech at Cincinnati’s Freedom Center

In Summer of 2020 in the midst of nationwide protests, the Cincinnati Bengals locker room took a stand and made strong statements at Cincinnati’s National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

They selected two players to represent the organization; veteran center Trey Hopkins and then-rookie quarterback Joe Burrow. His speech was widely viewed as a unifying moment for the community amidst a tense moment in our nation’s history.

7. No One Rebounded from a College Breakup better than Burrow

No, we’re not talking about the end of a romantic relationship, but a departure from a school he loved. When Joe Burrow lost the quarterback battle to Dwayne Haskins at Ohio State, he made the most of his move. 

His former coach Urban Meyer lasted just two more seasons with the Buckeyes, taking back-to-back College Football Playoff losses. Burrow, on the other hand? 

He went on to lead one of the most impressive offensive seasons in college football history, winning the Heisman trophy and leading a National Championship run.

8. Burrow’s love for Matthew Dellavedova Is Unparalleled

In a shout-out to the Cleveland-based audience, how can you not love Burrow’s admiration for Delly? 

Not only has Burrow shared tons of tweets calling for more minutes for Dellavedova, but the Heisman-winning quarterback also named the Aussie stand-out his favorite NBA player ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Heck, Burrow even showed up to his last stint of LSU training camp repping a “Delly” championship t-shirt.

9. His Heisman speech, which raised $360,000 for his hometown food pantry

There’s only one way to close this list; Burrow’s incredible 2019 Heisman Trophy speech. From start to finish, it’s perhaps the most moving speech in football history.

Burrow’s passion for football was beautiful, but his passion for his teammates, community, family, and Coach Ed Orgeron shined bright.

Further, his statements about his hometown of Athens, Ohio showed the heart and soul inside of Burrow. Those sentiments reflected well on the audience of the speech, who poured in $360,000 to the Athens County Food Pantry.