Pro Bowl quarterback Joe Burrow made some remarks last week that either concerned or enraged Cincinnati Bengals fans.
Speaking candidly about how this season has played out for him after missing most of the year with a severe turf toe injury, Burrow admitted that he wasn’t having much fun, and if that were the case, he was unsure of why he was even playing.
“If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing it,” Burrow somberly said. “You know, I’ve been through a lot. And if it’s not fun, what am I doing it for?”
Almost immediately after, many were speculating Burrow was unhappy with his situation in Cincinnati and wanted a trade while others guessed he was hinting at an early retirement.
However, Burrow himself cleared things up after Sunday’s 24-0 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
“My comments had nothing to do with Cincinnati,” Burrow said after the game, via ESPN. “My comments had everything to do with me and my mindset and football.”
While Burrow made it clear to Bengals fans he wasn’t disrespecting their team, that didn’t stop some fans several hours before from heckling him while he was on the bench during some of the Ravens’ offensive drives.
In fact, things got so heated that receiver Ja’Marr Chase had to step in and say something to the unrelenting, unruly fans.
“Hey! Run your [expletive] home,” Chase shouted at them, according to Fox 19’s Jeremy Rauch.
Sunday’s performance wasn’t Burrow’s best. He threw for 225 yards and two interceptions as Cincinnati was shut out for the first time in Burrow’s 74 career starts.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor told reporters on Monday Burrow would remain the team’s starter for its final few games of the regular season despite Cincinnati being eliminated from playoff contention.
