Joe Burrow arrived at Paycor Stadium on Sunday morning ready for the stage, and the Bengals made sure everyone saw the look.
Cincinnati posted a short tunnel video labeled a QB1 fit check, showing Burrow walking the hallway before kickoff for the season opener against Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bengals are hosting the game at a sold-out Paycor Stadium as they begin their 2026 NFL regular season at home.
Burrow’s outfit did the talking first: a black collared shirt, wide cream trousers, and black sneakers. He carried himself like he knew exactly what he was doing.
Not everyone online was buying the fashion-forward entrance. The clip set off a wave of jokes from fans, including, “Always admire Joe Burrow’s ability to dress like a lesbian,” one fan said.
Another wrote, “Joe Burrow looks like NSYNC’s long-lost sixth member showing up 27 years late for the Bye Bye Bye video shoot,” while a third added, “Is he ready to play QB or Dancing with the Stars 😆,”. One more fan piled on with, “This needs to stop!
Females should be the only cheerleaders”
The reaction came as Burrow begins a season that carries plenty of weight after a difficult 2025. He was limited to just eight games because of a severe toe injury, and his numbers fell with it, finishing with 1,809 passing yards and 17 touchdowns.
Still, the quarterback sounds locked in. Speaking on teammate Ja’Marr Chase’s podcast, Burrow said, “I just want to win this year.”
That message fits the version of Burrow Cincinnati is hoping to get back. After a losing season, the Bengals are trying to return to the kind of run that sent them to back-to-back AFC Championship Games. And with a rebuilt defense behind him, Burrow is entering 2026 with the kind of confidence that keeps him in the NFL MVP conversation.
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Joe Burrow Incident Keeps Bengals Opener Under The NFL Spotlight
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Tampa Bay safety Tykee Smith was flagged for a late hit on Burrow, and the NFL is now reviewing the play for possible fines. It is the sort of postgame wrinkle that can linger after an opener, especially when the league is still sorting out how it wants to handle contact on a quarterback who matters as much to his team as Burrow does to the Bengals. [Read more 🡒]
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Robinsons path already has a local angle, too, since he is from Copley, Ohio, and he arrived in Cincinnati with a decorated college rsum that included being named the 2025 AAC Defensive Player of the Year. Even without taking the field on opening weekend, he gave the Bengals a feel-good moment that fit the kind of story fans tend to remember early in a season, especially with a rookie whose journey has already been anything but ordinary. [Read more 🡒]
Baker Mayfield Just Handed Bengals Fans A Brutal Reminder
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For Bengals fans, it was a familiar kind of relief after a summer of watching another teams big contract and big expectations attached to Mayfield in Tampa. His new three-year deal keeps him in place for the long haul, but Sunday was a reminder that even with that kind of security, the margin for error is still razor thin when the ball keeps coming loose. [Read more 🡒]