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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow gave some curious comments that many found alarming during his press conference on Wednesday (December 10).
“If I want to keep doing this, then what am I trying to do with myself?” Burrow told reporters via the New York Post. “And I have to have fun doing it. You know, if it’s not fun, then what am I doing it for? So, that’s the mindset.”
Burrow, 29, recently returned from a severe Grade 3 turf toe injury, which caused him to miss Weeks 3 through 12, before returning for the Bengals' Week 13 win against the AFC North Division rival Baltimore Ravens. Cincinnati defeated Baltimore in a blowout, but lost a high-scoring game against the Buffalo Bills last Sunday (December 7), which likely ended the team's chances of making the playoffs.
“Do I have fun playing?” Burrow said during the press conference. “I mean, how much? Winning’s always fun, but in general, was it as fun as before? No, I wouldn’t say it was that way.”
The Bengals' offensive line has struggled throughout Burrow's six-year NFL career and currently ranks No. 28 among all 32 teams, according to Pro Football Focus and the quarterback has been pressured on 23.3% of dropbacks, the highest in the NFL. Cincinnati made a Super Bowl appearance during Burrow's second season in 2021 and last appeared in the postseason in 2022.
“The changing point? I’m not sure there was a singular moment or time,” Burrow said. “Reflection — reflection on a lot of things that I’ve done and been through in my career, I think. And I’ve been through more than most. Certainly not easy on the brain or body, so just trying to have fun doing it again.”
Burrow then ominously said, “Ummm, there’s just a lot of things going on right now — football-related, personally, all the above," raising personal concerns.
Last December, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Olivia Ponton was identified as the woman who reported an alleged burglary at Burrow's home while he was playing in a Monday Night Football road game. The two were reported to have been "hooking up since early fall and are keeping it casual," an insider told PEOPLE at the time.
Burrow previously believed to be engaged to longtime girlfriend Olivia Holzmacher, though it was never officially confirmed publicly, and it was previously unclear why Ponton was at Burrow's home. A police report identified the model as a "22-year-old woman who says she's employed by Burrow."