Joe Burrow is a professional American football player who plays quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals in the National Football League (NFL). Burrow only joined the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020 but has already become a fan favorite with the team’s passionate supporters. His incredible performances on the football field have resulted in him becoming the NFL’s highest-paid player in the sport’s long history.
Burrow was born on December 10, 1996, in Ames, Iowa. His father, Jim Burrow, was a former professional American football player who played for the Green Bay Packers before switching to the Canadian Football League (CFL), where he turned out for the Montreal Alouettes, Calgary Stampeders, and the Ottawa Rough Riders. Jim Burrow took up coaching after he retired from playing.
The Burrow family moved to North Dakota in 2003. Dan Enos, a prominent coach, commented that Burrow had a bright future in football and would one day be featured on the best NFL betting sites, despite Burrow only being seven years old.
Burrow attended Athens High School and produced some incredible statistics while leading the team to countless victories. He left high school as a four-star recruit and had no shortage of scholarship offers from top-tier universities. Burrow committed to Ohio State
After redshirting his first season with the Ohio State Buckeyes, Burrow found himself playing second fiddle to J.T. Barrett and saw his game time limited to only ten appearances (no starts) during his next two years. Burrow graduated with a consumer and family financial services degree within three years and transferred to LSU as a graduate.
The LSU Tigers made Burrow their starting quarterback, which turned out to be an excellent decision. In 2018, he threw 2,984 yards, 16 touchdowns, and five interceptions while rushing 399 yards and scoring seven touchdowns.
Burrow’s final year at LSU saw him lead the NCAA across several statistics. He completed 96.3% of his 527 pass attempts, threw 5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns, and only six interceptions. He also rushed for 368 yards, scoring five touchdowns.
He declared his intention to enter the 2020 NFL Draft.
Burrow is 6 ft 4 tall (1.93 m) and weighs 215 pounds (98kg). His measurements are considered ideal for someone playing quarterback.
The Cincinnati Bengals selected Burrow as the first overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. The Bengals awarded Burrow a four-year rookie contract worth $36.1 million! Burrow was the starting quarterback for the Bengals in 2020. However, the Bengals struggled for form; then Burrow suffered a severe, season-ending knee injury that limited him to only ten appearances as a rookie.
The following season, having recovered from his injuries, Burrow guided the Bengals to a 10-7 record. It was the Bengals’ first winning season since 2015. The Bengals progressed to the playoffs, where they faced the Las Vegas Raiders. Burrow helped the Bengals win 26-19, marking the first playoff victory for the Bengals since the 1990 season.
Burrow was instrumental in the Bengals defeating the Tennessee Titans and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC playoffs and ensuring the Bengals would play in their first Super Bowl since the 1988 campaign. Unfortunately for Burrow and his teammates, the Bengals lost 20-23 to the Los Angeles Rams at Super Bowl LVI.
2022 saw Burrow and the Bengals navigate their way to the AFC Championship game following an impressive 12-4 regular season. They faced the Kansas City Chiefs for the second consecutive year but returned home empty-handed after losing 20-23; the Chiefs became Super Bowl champions.
Ahead of the 2023 season, the Bengals offered Burrow a bumper contract extension worth a staggering $275 million over five years. With an average salary of $55 million, Burrow became the highest-paid player in NFL history. Unfortunately, it was a season to forget for Burrow, who endured the second season-ending injury of his career, a torn ligament in his wrist that required surgery.
To date, Burrow holds several Bengals franchise records, including most passing yards in a game (525), most passing yards in a season (4,611), most passing touchdowns in a season (35), and highest passer rating over a season (108.3).
Burrow’s first professional contract was worth $36,190,137 over four years, including a $23,880,100 signing bonus. All of Burrow’s rookie contract was guaranteed. The five-year, $275 million contract extension Burrow signed in 2023 made him the NFL’s highest-paid player annually.
By the end of the 2023 season, Burrow had earned $76,172,403 from the Cincinnati Bengals. Should he remain with the team until 2029 and hit all the additional payments in his deal, Burrow will have earned an almost unbelievable $340,675,403.
The latest estimates put Burrow’s net worth in the region of $50 million.
Burrow claims to save his astronomical salary and uses his many endorsement deals to fund his living costs. His endorsement and sponsorship deals include Nike, Bose, Nerf, and Fanatics. Burrow is smart with his money and has invested in Kodiak, a professional women’s volleyball team, and farmland, which he leases to farmers.
Burrow is known for living a low-key lifestyle where he actively avoids being in the public eye. Burrow enjoys playing video games outside of football, notably Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and the role-playing game Earthbound.
While studying at Ohio State University, Burrow began dating Olivia Holzmacher. The pair began a romantic relationship in 2017 and remain together. Rumors the pair were engaged circulated in the summer of 2023 but proved false. Holzmacher has supported Burrow since his college career and regularly attends Cincinnati Bengals games at home and on the road, often documenting those journies via her popular Instagram account.
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