Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow — aka Joe Shiesty, aka Joey B., aka Joe Cool, aka Joe Brrr — has become a local hero of sorts. Since the Bengals drafted him in 2020, Burrow has thrown for more than 8,000 yards, bounced back after a season-ending knee injury in 2020 and has been instrumental to the Bengals reaching the Super Bowl.
Cincinnati knew early on that Burrow would be good at football, but now he’s showing prowess in a completely different arena: fashion. The Heisman-winning quarterback has sported a series of drippy looks recently, each one demanding more and more attention.
Below, CityBeat ranks five of our favorites.
No 5: Crazy but Comfy
This look made the list because we love to see Joe being cozy, but we know he can do better. Burrow wore the abstract, chevron-patterned lounge set from Michael Jordan’s Nike line when the team arrived in Denver for a Nov. 20 game against the Broncos. He finished the look off with a Dunder Mifflin beanie, Nike sneakers, tinted shades and red leather duffle. The man is masked up and snug, but the pattern leaves a lot to be desired. But does it really matter since the Bengals won the game 15-10?
The day after Christmas, Burrow took the field and threw for 525 yards, beating the Baltimore Ravens 41-21. But even better than that glorious win, our favorite quarterback showed up to the celebratory post-game press conference donning a red Santa hat and Krusty Krab shirt (not his first or last venture into SpongeBob fashion). Twitter predictably went nuts. Earlier that day Burrow was spotted in the same hat, a “Happy Holla Days” sweater and his now-famous pink shades. The Christmas motif reminded fans of Burrow’s celebrity look-alike, “the kid from Home Alone,” aka Macaulay Culkin.
No. 3: SpongeBob Haute Couture
Burrow was born in 1996, and anyone born around that time knows that the greatest children’s television program was about a sponge who lived in a pineapple under the sea. Burrow has shown his affinity for SpongeBob SquarePants in plenty of outfits, none more memorable than his custom suits by Cincinnati men’s boutique Hellman Retail Group. The clothiers have helped dress Burrow during his time with the Bengals, including crafting the custom navy suit with purple pinstripes he sported along with a purple-and-gold silk tie and SpongeBob pocket square before the Nov. 22 game against the Washington Football Team (known as the Washington Commanders as of Feb. 2). The look was curated by Hellman Retail Group owner Chuck Hellman.
No. 2: Sexy Shades
After the Bengals won the team’s first playoff game in 31 years against the Las Vegas Raiders on Jan. 15, Burrow broke Twitter (and, based on comments, made some users extremely horny) with his thin, pink Y2K glasses. The specs, which teammate and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase says were Cartier, elicited comparisons to everyone from Robert Downey Jr. to Lizzie McGuire and Elton John. Cincy Shirts even created a Warhol-esque T-shirt featuring the look to commemorate the country’s collective obsession.
No. 1: Pimp My Burrow
Burrow showed up to the AFC Championship in Kansas City on Jan. 30 wearing a black turtleneck, fur coat and an icy Nike chain (which he confirmed in a press conference was made of real diamonds). The look divided Twitter, but ignore the haters — this was Burrow at his swaggiest. Complex Sports tweeted the now-famous picture of Burrow in his look-at-me gear, and somehow we all should have known that a Super Bowl berth would inevitably be ours. “It was over when Joe Burrow arrived to Kansas City like this,” Complex Sports said. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson even posted a side-by-side on his own Twitter comparing Burrow’s look to Johnson’s meme-worthy black turtleneck, chain and fanny pack photo, writing “Just two bad ass dudes with a strong drip game and big football dreams. One is going to the Super Bowl and preparing to cement his gridiron legacy. The other is only famous for rocking a fanny pack and a fucked up haircut.”
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