Cincinnati Shouldn’t Worry About Joe Burrow’s Celebrity Status
Credit: Sam Greene / The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
Joe Burrow has been an NFL mega-star since he’s entered the league. His celebrity status reached new heights during a recent trip to Paris, where he walked in the Vogue World fashion show with one of his former college teammates.
Former LSU teammates Joe Burrow and Justin Jefferson participated Sunday in the Vogue World fashion show in Paris.
📹 @NFLFrance pic.twitter.com/qaoN2yofSt
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 24, 2024
Burrow’s several outfits have certainly turned heads all across the world. His stylish looks regularly cause the internet to draft up thirsty tweets.
the hot girl summer joe burrow is having will be studied for years
— britt 💐 (@burrowsvech) June 23, 2024
A stylish player who regularly sports chic outfits en route to game day, Burrow has always had an interest in fashion. “I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and grow as a person,” Burrow said. “I think walking in the show is a great way to do that. I think the crossover between fashion and sport is going to continue to grow.”
Cincinnati has not had a celebrity quarterback quite like Burrow. He regularly sits front-and-center at UFC events. He’s partied in the Hamptons with A-list celebrities. He’s endorsed by, among other companies: Nike, Bose, BodyArmor, Guinness, Kroger, and Fanatics.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, not everyone feels the same about Burrow’s status as a household name.
He is hanging with the wrong crowd, and he needs to be focused on football anyway. Didn't he just miss basically a whole year?
— Lisa Ackels (@Lisaackels) June 24, 2024
Not sure how I feel about this. I'd like to see Joe being less "Hollywood" and more dedicated to his craft.
— On the Scene (@Sports_Takes_00) June 24, 2024
In a way, this mentality is understandable. Cincinnati has won exactly one professional sports title since 1977 (Hats off to Barry Larkin and the 1990 Reds), and Joe Burrow has given the city more hope of breaking that drought than perhaps any local athlete in recent memory. Many fans want the athletes to do anything and everything they can to finally bring Cincinnati back to championship glory.
However, even with the headline-grabbing appearances, Burrow remains focused on getting ready for this season after his injury-riddled 2023 campaign. Things seem to be trending in the right direction. Bridget Condon of NFL Network recently reported, “One person in the building that I talked to this week told me that they felt like (his health) was no issue during minicamp, saying that his accuracy, his velocity, is the same. They even made the point that he looks bigger and stronger than in years past.”
Celebrity status is earned by players being among the best and most charismatic players at their respective positions. Tom Brady, Joe Montana, and Peyton and Eli Manning, among others, all hosted Saturday Night Live during their careers. Patrick Mahomes acts in 12 State Farm commercials a week, three of which are funny. Aaron Rodgers hosted “Jeopardy!” and regularly delivers insightful commentary on current events… you know what, never mind.
Burrow has earned his status as a household name by being in the top tier of NFL quarterbacks. He maintains his status due to his elite skill level, tireless work ethic, and endearing charisma. That’s the kind of thing that happens when you reach two AFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl. He is the NFL’s current all-time leader in completion percentage among qualifying quarterbacks. Even with the high-profile appearances at events, Burrow remains dedicated to his craft and focused on giving Cincinnati its first Super Bowl title in franchise history.
“Every year I’m growing and evolving as a player and as a leader,” Burrow recently said. “I think every year I take a step in the direction I want to go as far as leading, leading by example, having conversations with guys. It’s just another year under my belt where I’m more comfortable and have a better understanding of those things. As you get older, you get wiser, you better understand how to try to put all the personalities of a team to make the locker room a fun place and that translates to the field.”
Part of the reason for Bengals fans’ worries about Burrow attending these celebrity-type events is simply because Cincinnati is not accustomed to having an athlete command the spotlight in this way. Prior to Burrow, Cincinnati’s most in-demand athletes topped out at signing autographs for two hours in a mall that you thought closed six months ago. Joe Burrow appearing at a fashion show or UFC event in his off time is not going to make him any worse at football, just like it won’t make any musicians’ next album flop or any actors give a wooden performance in the next film. He will continue to put in the necessary work to be the elite player he’s been since he entered the league in 2020.
“I’m confident I’ve put all the work in I need to make sure I’m healthy,” Burrow insists. “I’m continuing year-to-year to better hone that and make that more efficient. Maybe listen to my body a little more throughout the offseason and not push through things that maybe I have in the past. I’m just starting to learn my body.”
So fear not, Who Dey Nation. Burrow modeling for Vogue in his off time will not interfere with his ability to play in the NFL. If anything, he’s increasing the Bengals’ brand awareness and enjoying his life outside of football, all while still spending countless hours preparing for the 2024 season. It’s exactly what you should expect your superstar quarterback to be doing.
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