Image via All-Pro Reels / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0). Joe Burrow in 2020.
Joe Burrow plays in Madrid today. The Cincinnati Bengals take on the Atlanta Falcons at the Bernabeu at 9:30 a.m. ET, and Burrow walks in as the hottest quarterback in football. Last Sunday he threw for 462 yards and five touchdowns against Tennessee, then ran in the winner in overtime.
It was his third straight game with four or more passing touchdowns. The Bengals won 43-36, and Burrow was named the FedEx Air and Ground Player of the Week. He is 29, in his seventh NFL season, and he is playing the best football of his life. This is how he got here.
Last Sunday, in numbers
The Week 8 game against the Titans was wild. Burrow completed 38 of 48 passes for 462 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. He also ran three times for 10 yards and scored on a nine-yard run in overtime to win it. His 462 yards were the third most of his career, and the five passing touchdowns tied his career best.
He tied the game with 1:17 left, hitting Tee Higgins for a touchdown. Higgins finished with 10 catches for 155 yards and two scores. Ja'Marr Chase added 11 catches for 141 yards and a touchdown. Burrow is only the second quarterback in NFL history with at least 450 passing yards, five passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown in a single game. The other was Norm Van Brocklin in 1951.
| Season | Games | Passing yards | Pass TDs | Interceptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 10 | 2,688 | 13 | 5 |
| 2021 | 16 | 4,611 | 34 | 14 |
| 2022 | 16 | 4,475 | 35 | 12 |
| 2023 | 10 | 2,309 | 15 | 6 |
| 2024 | 17 | 4,918 | 43 | 9 |
| 2025 | 8 | 1,809 | 17 | 5 |
| 2026 (through Week 8) | 7 | 2,115 | 20 | 6 |
Through Week 8 this season he has 20 touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns in seven games. His career passing total passed 22,925 yards after the Titans game. The Bengals are 5-2, and today in Madrid he gets a stage few NFL players ever see.
Image via All-Pro Reels / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0). Burrow warming up with Ja'Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd in 2021.
A coach's kid from Athens, Ohio
Joseph Lee Burrow was born on 10 December 1996 in Ames, Iowa. His father, Jim Burrow, was coaching defensive backs at Iowa State at the time. His mother is Robin Burrow. He has two older brothers, Jamie and Dan. The family moved to Athens, Ohio, when Jim took a job on the Ohio University staff, and Joe grew up there.
He played at Athens High School, where he threw for more than 11,000 yards in his career. He went to Ohio State in 2015. He redshirted his first year and then spent two seasons as a backup, behind J.T. Barrett and then Dwayne Haskins. He graduated in three years and left for LSU in 2018, looking for a starting job.
His first season at LSU was solid but quiet: 2,894 yards and 16 touchdowns. Then came 2019. It was one of the great college seasons ever played by a quarterback.
The 2019 season that changed everything
In 2019 Burrow threw for 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns, with only six interceptions. LSU went 15-0 and beat Clemson 42-25 in the national championship game. He won the Heisman Trophy with 93.8% of the possible points, a record share at the time, and he also won the Maxwell Award and the Davey O'Brien Award.
The Bengals picked him first overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year rookie deal worth $36.1 million. He started right away, and he looked the part from day one. Then, in November 2020, his rookie season ended on a hit against Washington. He tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee and missed the rest of the year.
He came back in 2021 and took the Bengals to the Super Bowl. They beat the Raiders, Titans and Chiefs in the playoffs, then lost Super Bowl LVI to the Los Angeles Rams, 23-20. It was the Bengals' first Super Bowl trip in 33 years, and Burrow was at the heart of it. The last big-name receiver to wear a Bengals shirt before Chase and Higgins was Terrell Owens, who played one season in Cincinnati in 2010.
| Quick Facts | Joe Burrow |
|---|---|
| Full name | Joseph Lee Burrow |
| Born | 10 December 1996, Ames, Iowa |
| Age | 29 (turns 30 on 10 December 2026) |
| Nationality | American |
| Zodiac | Sagittarius |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Profession | NFL quarterback |
| Team | Cincinnati Bengals (2020–present) |
| Years active | 2020–present (NFL) |
| Education | Athens High School; Ohio State University; Louisiana State University |
| Parents | Jim and Robin Burrow |
| Siblings | Two older brothers, Jamie and Dan |
| Partner | Olivia Holzmacher (long-term girlfriend, met at Ohio State) |
| Net worth | About $50 million (estimate; some outlets put it higher, up to $85 million) |
Injuries, and the comebacks
Burrow's career has been a run of highs cut short by injuries, then answered by comebacks. The knee injury ended his rookie year. In 2023 a calf strain slowed his summer, and then a wrist injury in November against Baltimore ended his season after 10 games. In 2025 a Grade 3 turf toe injury in Week 2 needed surgery. He missed nine games and played only eight all season, though he finished strong, with three touchdown passes in the finale against Cleveland.
Each time he has come back better. In 2024 he led the NFL in completions, passing yards (4,918) and passing touchdowns (43), and he was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year. He made the Pro Bowl in 2022 and 2024, and again in 2025 despite playing only eight games.
He has never made a fuss about the injuries. He rehabs, comes back, and throws. That calm is part of why Bengals fans call him "Joe Cool". It is also why the team built around him.
The contract, and what he is worth
In September 2023 Burrow signed a five-year, $275 million extension with the Bengals. It included $219 million guaranteed and an average of $55 million a year. At the time it made him the highest-paid player in NFL history on a per-year basis.
His net worth is estimated at about $50 million. That is an estimate, not a filed figure. Some outlets print higher numbers, up to around $85 million. The gap comes down to how much of the contract and his endorsement money has actually landed so far. He has deals with Nike, Bose and Kroger, among others, and he gives a share of his time and money to hunger charities in Athens, Ohio, through the Joe Burrow Foundation.
| Honour or highlight | Detail |
|---|---|
| Heisman Trophy | 2019, with a record 93.8% of possible points |
| College national champion | LSU, 2019 season (15-0) |
| No. 1 NFL Draft pick | Cincinnati Bengals, 2020 |
| Super Bowl LVI | Reached the Super Bowl in his second season (lost 23-20 to the Rams) |
| NFL Comeback Player of the Year | 2024 |
| Pro Bowl | 2022, 2024, 2025 |
| Led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns | 2024 (4,918 yards, 43 touchdowns) |
| FedEx Air & Ground Player of the Week | Week 8, 2026 (462 yards, 6 total touchdowns vs Tennessee) |
Off the field he keeps a low profile. He has been with Olivia Holzmacher since their Ohio State days. He likes fashion, he collects watches, and he has a dry sense of humour that shows up in his press conferences. He does not talk much about himself. He lets the throwing do it.
Image via AlexanderJonesi / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0). Burrow warming up before a game.
FAQs
How old is Joe Burrow? He was born on 10 December 1996, so he is 29. He turns 30 on 10 December 2026.
How tall is Joe Burrow? He is 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) tall and weighs about 215 lb (98 kg).
What is Joe Burrow's net worth? About $50 million, as an estimate. Some outlets put the figure higher, up to around $85 million.
What was Joe Burrow's Week 8 stat line? Against Tennessee on 1 November 2026 he went 38 of 48 for 462 yards, five passing touchdowns and three interceptions, and he ran in the winning touchdown in overtime. The Bengals won 43-36.
When do the Bengals play in Madrid? Today, Sunday 8 November 2026, against the Atlanta Falcons at the Bernabeu, kicking off at 9:30 a.m. ET. Our Week 9 preview has the full details.
Has Joe Burrow won a Super Bowl? Not yet. He reached Super Bowl LVI in February 2022 in his second season, but the Bengals lost 23-20 to the Los Angeles Rams.
Read More: Terrell Owens Biography, Age, Height, Net Worth, Family & Documentary
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