Joe Burrow declined to appear on Season 1 of the Netflix series Quarterback. He is featured in Season 2, which debuts in July.
So what changed?
“They caught me on a good day,” Burrow joked Tuesday, via Jay Morrison of SI.com.
It actually was Peyton Manning, the show’s executive producer, who changed Burrow’s mind about being a part of it along with Jared Goff and Kirk Cousins.
“A big part was Peyton being involved in it,” Burrow said. “I have a lot of respect for him, obviously. What he did, does, as a person, when that guy reaches out to you and asks you to do something . . . most of the time I’m going to say ‘yes.’”
Burrow said, because he trusts Manning, he sees the opportunity as a high-reward, no-risk scenario.
“Only positive things could come out of it,” Burrow said. “He’s going to protect me, protect our team, protect our organization. I have trust in him for saying that and trust that he’s going to do that. I probably wouldn’t have done it if he wasn’t involved, but I have a lot of trust and faith in him to not do anything that would hurt me or the team.”
Hard Knocks cameras already were filming the Bengals in 2024 anyway, so it made it easier for Burrow to accept Manning’s invitation. But Quarterback will address the burglary of Burrow’s home in December, something not mentioned in Hard Knocks after the Bengals nixed it.
“That was definitely a curveball I didn’t quite expect throughout the whole process, but the people involved in it, working on it day to day, were great and weren’t too intrusive,” Burrow said. “I worked with some good people with that.”
Burrow had his final interview with the show last week and has watched screenings of the first few episodes. But he said he will leave it to viewers whether it’s any good or not.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said on Tuesday that it is “a little disappointing” that the team does not have an international game because he would like to play on “a stage like that” as the NFL tries to grow its global footprint.
It wasn’t the only part of the team’s schedule that he took issue with during a press conference. Burrow also expressed his disappointment in learning that the Bengals will be in Baltimore for a night game for the fourth season in a row. The Bengals have lost the first three of those contests.
“Playing in Baltimore for the fourth straight year in prime time isn’t ideal,” Burrow said, via the team’s website. “Maybe we can get one of those in Cincinnati. Please.”
The Bengals will be in Baltimore on Thanksgiving this time around and head coach Zac Taylor took a different view than his quarterback. Taylor said he’d welcome more prime time action in Cincinnati, but that “a chance to perform in front of everybody that watches football” is an exciting one for the team.
Early in the offseason, Joe Burrow made it clear that he wanted to see the Bengals reward Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Mike Gesicki, and Trey Hendrickson with new contracts.
Cincinnati has checked the box on three of the four players on the quarterback’s wish list. But Hendrickson remains displeased with the deal that is set to pay him $15.8 million in base salary in 2025, saying last week that he will not play on his current contract.
In his Tuesday press conference, Burrow once again backed Hendrickson.
“Yeah, we’ll see what happens with that,” Burrow said. “You guys all know how I feel about Trey. He’s a great player. I love Trey as a guy. He goes out and plays well every single Sunday. He’s very productive. He’s a guy that deserves to get paid and get paid what he wants and what the market is. So, like I said, we’ll see what happens with that. But, I love Trey and hope he’s with us.
“I think he’s doing what he thinks is best for his career and I support him in that,” Burrow later added. “Trey’s a smart guy. Just like anybody, I’m sure there’s things that he’d like to have back. But he’s very well thought out in his process and what he’s trying to do. And so, if he thinks that’s the way to go, then that’s the way to go.”
Hendrickson caused a stir when he showed up at the Bengals Phase II workout last week in street clothes and spoke to the media for about 25 minutes. Burrow said he’s been in contact with the defensive end “here and there” in the past few months.
“Early in the offseason quite a bit, lately not quite as much,” Burrow said. “He was here last week, obviously, as you guys know. That was an exciting day. And it was great to see him. He came in, brought good energy, was happy to see everybody. Like I said, I love Trey, I love seeing Trey. He’s one of the most unique people I’ve ever been around or met, and I love that about him. And I think that’s what makes him a great player. So, he brings a unique energy that I’m always excited to see.”
Last week, Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson showed up in street clothes for Cincinnati’s voluntary workout and told reporters that things had become “personal” in his contract dispute.
Speaking to the media as the team’s Phase II session was ongoing, Hendrickson cited a text he received from head coach Zac Taylor about fines for missed mandatory minicamp as a factor that set him off.
In his Tuesday press conference, Taylor said that he has no update on Hendrickson, but noted that the two had talked.
“I put a lot of time into thinking — those situations, there’s real money at stake,” Taylor said. “So I put a lot of time and energy into thinking about how to communicate, when to communicate. And so, that’s just how I handled that one. And, yeah, Trey and I have spoken.
“I think every situation is unique,” Taylor later added. “Every personality is different, every player is different. The timing of everything is different. So, you just adapt as you go with that stuff.”
Taylor noted that it’s his decision when and how to handle those exchanges, adding that he didn’t find it distracting for Hendrickson to be speaking to the media during a workout.
“It was good to see him, good to have him in town,” Taylor said. “Practice had really wrapped up for the most part. I don’t have any issue with that.”
There’s also no doubt that Taylor sees the need for Hendrickson on the team’s defense.
“I mean, he’s an elite rusher,” Taylor said. “He’s done a great job in this league for a long time and since he’s been here. So, obviously, he’s a valuable part of our team.”
Hendrickson led the league last season with 17.5 sacks, becoming a first-team All-Pro for the first time in his career.
The defensive end has said that he will not play this season under his current deal. He’s slated to make a base salary of $15.8 million with a salary cap hit of $18.6 million in 2025.
Bengals first-round pick Shemar Stewart remains unsigned and on the sidelines during the club’s on-field work.
The rookie edge rusher has been embroiled in a contract dispute with the club and has not been participating during Cincinnati’s voluntary workouts — though he has been in the building. Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported earlier on Tuesday that Stewart wants his contract to look like Cincinnati’s last two first-round picks, both of whom were taken after No. 17 overall.
As has been the case, Stewart is not planning to practice until the dispute is resolved.
Head coach Zac Taylor said after practice that there’s “no update yet” on Stewart’s status. But Taylor also noted that Stewart has “done a great job in the meetings.”
Stewart recorded 4.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss in his 37 games at Texas A&M.
