With LSU’s home loss to Mississippi State, it was a clear awakening to LSU fans that Joe Burrow was no longer there. Last season, not only LSU fans, but the entire country witnessed the rise of Joe Burrow. The transfer from Ohio State played two seasons for LSU, earning national fame becoming the number one draft pick. In his last season, he put up historic numbers, passing for over 5,600 yards and throwing 60 touchdown passes. Now that he’s moved on to the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals, what is he up to? Below I will give updates on how Joe Burrow is adjusting to life in the NFL.
Transition from college play to the NFL can be very hard for some, but Joe Burrow has made it look pretty easily. He was thrust into the starting role as soon as he got to Cincinnati and started Week 1, something no other quarterback drafted this year did. Through his first four games, Burrow averaged a 65.5% completion rate, with 1122 passing yards and 73 rushing yards. Most of Burrow’s passes are very accurate, but he has yet to complete many deep balls. His longest throw in the NFL was a 42 yard pass. Burrow has thrown 6 touchdown passes with two interceptions and one lost fumble. His first interception came in Week 1, a dumb shovel pass into the hands of the Chargers. However, his second interception was more the fault of Bengals receiver Drew Sample who let the ball get stripped away from him after he caught it in the endzone. In the Thursday Night Football Game against the Browns Myles Garret forced a fumble from Burrow that the Browns recovered. He is averaging less than one turnover a game, which is super impressive for a rookie quarterback.
As impressive as Burrow has been, it is even more impressive given how bad the Bengals O line is and how much pressure he gets. In the first three games, Burrow was sacked 14 times (and hit how many times), the most of any quarterback in the league. Even with quick pressure, he has still managed to throw for 1,122 yards. Joe Burrow set a NFL record for being the fastest rookie to throw 300 or more yards for three straight games after only four games. He has done a good job scrambling when he can’t find an open target and has been able to get the first down on his feet a few times. In his first game, Burrow got out of the pocket and rushed 23 yards for his first touchdown. If Joe Burrow can perform this well when being guarded by a terrible offensive line, imagine what his numbers would be with protection.
Since arriving in Cincinnati, Joe Burrow has been a leader and taken accountability for his play. He learned the Bengals play book way faster than the coaches anticipated, and has made sure he is letting the coaches know what is working.After his first game, Burrow told reporters that his performance was a “D” and a high schooler could have played better. Every night before a game, Burrow meets with the coaches to go over what plays he thinks are best. They discuss all the possible options and go over what plays to call if certain situations were to happen. Bengal’s coach Zack Taylor and Bengals teammates have all said that Joe Burrow has become a team leader on the field and in the locker room.
Burrow has become a leader in the community as well. When he gave his Heisman speech and talked about the food insecurity in his hometown of Athens, Ohio, donations poured in and over $700,000 was raised for the Athens County Food Pantry. Since then, Burrow has started the Joe Burrow Hunger Relief Fund for Appalachian Ohio in hope of defeating hunger and poverty. With help from his foundation, communities in Appalachian Ohio are using the funds to help children fight hunger. Burrow has also been an advocate for social justice. He has used his twitter platform to call for equal rights for blacks. As a team, the Bengals have called for social justice and in August they marched from Paul Brown to the Freedom Center to learn more about the struggles of African Americans. Joe Burrow has already made an impact on and off the field.
Joe Burrow is now a rich man. His rookie contract is a four-year $36.2 million guaranteed contract. That is just his salary from the Bengals, which doesn’t include all the money he will receive from endorsements. Burrow said that he does not plan to spend a single dollar of his NFL salary and will put it all in the bank. He will instead live off the money he makes from endorsements. Burrow is not one to show off his flash purchases or flaunt his money, but we do know two big purchases he has made since joining the NFL. The first thing he hired is a personal chef. When asked what the first thing he will spend money on, Burrow told reporters that he will be hiring a personal chef. Burrow said he needs to have the right fuel for his body to improve his game, and this will help him. His other big purchase was a eight carat white gold necklace with a number 9 pendant hanging from the chain. The necklace is estimated to be worth between $25,000 and $30,000.
After leaving LSU, Joe Burrow has continued to excel on the field. He is already setting NFL records and holding his own as a rookie starter. Off the field, he is making an impact in the community and helping others.
Below is an entertaining video of Burrow mic'd up in his first NFL win.
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