The wrist is healed up and the do is the talk of the Queen City.
Joe Burrow, sporting his new-look blond buzzcut, addressed the media for the first time in training camp on Wednesday.
Following a summer of updates on his wrist, conversation went a good deal north to his hair, which has drawn comparisons to Eminem and pro wrestler Cody Rhodes. Another fresh development for Joey B will be playing in the preseason, something he’s done to the tune of just three snaps in his career.
Burrow’s excited to do it despite injury concerns.
“I think that’s the best way to go about it this year, we'll try it out,” Burrow said of playing in the preseason, which kicks off for the Bengals on Saturday, Aug. 10 against the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “I think in order for us to be our best in the beginning of the year I think we kind of need that. It’s something we wanted to do in years past but haven’t been able to. But I’m excited to get that done this year.”
Head coach Zac Taylor said Monday Burrow was cleared following an offseason of progress in his recovery from wrist surgery last year and also said he intended for his QB to play this preseason. Just how much Burrow will partake in the preseason remains unknown according to the blond bomber.
“We haven’t really had those discussions yet,” Burrow said on Wednesday. “I imagine how we play in that preseason game when we’re in there will also play a part. I think there’s a lot of factors.”
Entering his fifth NFL season, the 2020 NFL Draft No. 1 overall pick has been snake bitten when it comes to getting onto the field in the preseason. His rookie campaign was one in which COVID-19 led to the cancelation of each preseason tilt. In 2021, Burrow played the aforementioned three snaps as he was coming off an ACL tear that cut short his rookie season. An appendectomy forced him to miss the preseason the following year and last season it was a calf strain that kept him from action.
Burrow did play in the season opener, but his 2023 season was cut to 10 games after he tore a wrist ligament.
So far so good on Wednesday, Burrow said.
“I was happy with today,” he said. “Still feeling it out, still have some throws where it’s like, ‘Well what did that look like?’ Usually goes where I want it to but doesn’t spin the way I want it to. So, we’re still working through that. But I feel really good about where I’m at. I feel like I kind of figured something out toward the end of the practice there in individuals. So, looking forward to exploring that a little more.”
As for the trending topic of Burrow’s hair and why he changed it up, well that was simply boredom.
“I got bored, that’s about it,” he said of the reasoning behind his new do, which is a different color and cut from each of his previous years in the league.
He was also nudged to do it by 310-pound defensive tackle B.J. Hill, whom Burrow said must now follow suit with the same look.
“B.J. said if I buzzed it and bleached it, he would do it, too,” Burrow said. “So now everybody’s gotta hold him accountable ‘cause he’s gotta do it in the next week.”
The blond Bengal look is in in Cincinnati just as Burrow will be this preseason.