Joe Burrow is set to begin his sixth season as the starting quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals this fall. The 28-year-old, born in Ames, Iowa, played college football at Ohio State and LSU before being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Burrow led the Bengals to the Super Bowl in the 2021 season, where they fell to the Los Angeles Rams. Cincinnati followed that up with a strong 2022 campaign, but has missed the playoffs the past two seasons.
On Tuesday, the NFL posted a comparison photo showing Burrow at the beginning of his career and now, heading into Year 6:
“.@JoeyB: Year 1 Year 6”
.@JoeyB: Year 1 ➡️ Year 6 pic.twitter.com/5NEbXPkNwp
— NFL (@NFL) June 17, 2025
Fans were quick to react to the evolution of Burrow’s look:
“still cute as ever,” declared one enamored fan.
“he just gets prettier and prettier,” said another fan.
“0 MVPs 0 Rings 25 hair style changes,” joked someone else.
Another fan added, “You can’t even use the “beard grown” graphic for joe burrow.”
Another commenter proclaimed, “He’s gotten younger.”
Someone else similarly commented, “Bro aging in reverse with this org? Chosen one.”
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. © Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The 2024 season was a strong one for Burrow personally. He posted 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns, leading the NFL in both categories. The 6-foot-4 signal caller finished the regular season on a hot streak, guiding the Bengals to five straight wins.-
Over those final five games, he passed for 13 touchdowns with just 4 interceptions. For his career, Burrow has completed 68.6% of his passes for 19,001 yards, 140 touchdowns and 46 interceptions.
Cincinnati begins its preseason schedule on August 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Bengals open the regular season on September 7, hitting the road to face the Cleveland Browns.
