He authored arguably the greatest season in college football history, complete with a Heisman Trophy and a national championship for LSU; becoming the number one overall pick in the NFL Draft and leading the Cincinnati Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance; and made two Pro Bowls while winning a pair of NFL Comeback Player of the Year awards along the way.
Advertisement
He also tore his ACL and MCL, costing him the end of his rookie season; suffered another season-ending injury in 2023 when he tore a ligament in the wrist of his throwing hand; suffered a toe injury this year that required surgery and a more than two-month recovery; and has been sacked at least 40 times in each of the three seasons he has played in 16 or more games.
“I think I’ve been through more than most,” a reflective Burrow told reporters on his birthday. “And it’s certainly not easy on the brain or the body, so I try to have fun doing it again.”
The word “fun” was also used by Burrow three days earlier, when asked about his outlook for the rest of the season following a disappointing 39-34 loss to the Bills that dropped Cincinnati to 4-9 on the year.
Advertisement
“Just go out there and play well,” said Burrow, who threw four touchdowns at Buffalo’s snowy Highmark Stadium but also two interceptions that helped the Bills erase a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter. “Going out and having fun, playing football, that’s what I love to do, so that’s what I’m going to continue to do, and I’m going to continue to do it at a high level.”
He talked about taking the opportunity to put on a show for everyone watching down the stretch. Burrow was asked Wednesday to explain why that’s important to him.
“The first thing is that I work hard for it,” he said. “Number two, this is, at the end of the day, the entertainment industry. I want to go out and play well, and if you’re playing well and scoring points and winning games, then it’s usually fun to watch.”
However, just because you want to have fun and perform doesn’t mean you don’t still yearn to win. He made it clear.
Advertisement
“No, it certainly doesn’t change my desire to win,” Burrow said. “If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing it. I’ve been through a lot, and if it’s not fun, why do I do it?
“So that’s the mentality I’m trying to bring to the table.”
On a day when Burrow admitted that “there’s a lot going on right now,” he had a little fun in the final minutes of his press conference.
He explained that his offensive line gave him a Pokémon box. He talked about his favorite characters from the iconic franchise and laughed when asked his opinion on “market manipulation” in the Pokémon trading card space.
Advertisement
Burrow will try to channel that joy into the rest of the season, which he spent most of it looking forward to getting back on the field in hopes of returning to the playoffs.