"It's freaking embarrassing" - NFL fans react as Joe Burrow makes Sports Illustrated history 3 years after his 2022 cover with sports magazine

Joe Burrow did not succeed on the field in the past two seasons, but the quarterback continues to shine off the field as he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine for the third time this week.

The issue portrays Burrow sitting with "Brrr" as the headline, asking the question "Why Joe Burrow (and seemingly every other athlete) is so immersed in fashion". He was dubbed the "Ultracool QB" in 2022, while in 2019, Sports Illustrated called him "The Greatest Story in College Football".

NFL fans took the opportunity to poke fun at his recent seasons, when the Cincinnati Bengals failed to make the playoffs.

"Is this supposed to look cool? It's freaking embarrassing. Go frost your tips again", criticized one fan.

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"Easy to be cool off the field when your seasons don’t go past mid-January", trolled another fan. "This team missed the playoffs entirely in back-to-back seasons, but hey, at least their player dress up" was a third take.

Some fans praised the Bengals QB's off-field endeavours.

The quarterback's first cover appearance on Sports Illustrated happened in December 2019, as he led LSU in one of college football's greatest offenses. The second happened in 2022 after the Bengals reached the Super Bowl. This time, they're going through a rough patch.

Joe Burrow wants more exposure for the Cincinnati Bengals with international games

There's no denying that he has been one of the league's best quarterbacks since the Bengals drafted him. But one unfulfilled wish has been a game away from the U.S., and he complained about this when the NFL schedule was released:

"Maybe an international game next year," he said. "You know, part of the reason I wanted to do the quarterback show [is] I wanted to help grow the game internationally, so to not have a stage like that is a little disappointing.

Individually, he has appeared a lot, but Burrow is known for being an ultra-competitive quarterback who also wants the Bengals to be constantly at the top and earn recognition. Playing a game overseas could help the franchise even more.

Edited by Chaitanya Prakash